Art & Entertainment

'Nobody Will Self-regulate'

The Censor Board chairperson on the proposed changes to the Cinematograph Act

Advertisement

'Nobody Will Self-regulate'
info_icon
Clarifiying that the censor board was not into moral policing, Censor Board chairperson Sharmila Tagore spoke to Outlook on the proposed changes to the Cinematograph Act. Excerpts:

The I&B ministry is proposing to overhaul the act, do the guidelines need to be recast again?
I don't think the guidelines are vague. I do agree that they have to be spelt out in the light of rapid changes in technology and content. I have sent some of my recommendations which have more to do with improving the infrastructure to improve certification.

What do you think of the ministry's proposal to introduce more categories of certification besides 'U' and 'A'?
If only the Mature Adult (MA) category of certification was in place, we could have cleared a film like Closer with minor cuts. In its present form, the Julia Roberts-Jude Law starrer which takes a rather harsh look at marriage, love and lust couldn't get past the censor board for the sheer explicit language used in the film. With an MA category, the film could have been cleared for the metros.

Advertisement

Filmmakers say self-regulation makes sense; the guidelines are vague. Do you also think so?
No, I do not. The board has problems only with filmmakers who want an 'Unrestricted' certificate but have introduced a "hot number" in their film. Self-regulation is desirable but how may filmmakers exercise it?

Shyam Benegal has suggested an informal group of filmmakers to discuss certification instead of a government-appointed board.
Shyam Benegal is probably one of the few filmmakers who will exercise self-regulation but he is right at the top. Do the rest follow the rule? Do the filmmakers have the time and the energy to sit on the board?

Advertisement

Tags

    Advertisement

    Advertisement

    Advertisement

    Advertisement

    Advertisement

    Advertisement