Events & Issues

26 January 2015, New Delhi

CBFC Drama

CUTTING CENSOR TO SIZE?

By Nikhil Gajendragadkar

The Central government recently ‘restructured’ the Censor Board of India by appointing people loyal to either the BJP or RSS ideology. Last week, en mass resignations, allegations and counter allegations, have all brought into the open the murky state of affairs at the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). The recent imbroglio caused by certification of a film has underlined the chaotic state of film censoring in India. The issue also highlights high-handedness of the Government and interference of non-artistic elements in the routine work of a prominent authority. Is politics at work here?

Pahlaj Nihalani now heads the CBFC, or the Censor Board, as popularly known in India. This appointment took in less than a day after the entire Board tendered resignation. New appointees are carefully chosen by the Central Government thereby ensuring that no note of dissent will emerge from the new Board.

Pahlaj Nihalani is not a top ranked producer-director, but he made a six minute campaign video in the run-up to last Lok Sabha election for Narendra Modi. This qualification is enough to be the chairperson of a premier body! Other members include an editor of a Marathi weekly, ‘Vivek’ which propagates views of BJP and its parent organisation, RSS, and has edited a book on former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, a director from Assam who was also a BJP candidate in the last Lok Sabha elections, a script writer who has written a script on Modi, Vice Chancellor of the Central University of Gujarat, Modi’s home State and so forth.

The outrage against a Hindi film ‘PK’, starring Amir Khan, seen at the end of the last year is yet to die down and India is witnessing one more controversy born out of another film. Last December, the big question was why ‘PK’ has been granted a certificate and now the question is ‘why a certificate is being denied’ to ‘MSG’. In both cases the onus is on the ‘Central Board of Film Certification’.

‘MSG-Messenger of God’ is a new film featuring Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insaan, also known as Baba Ram Rahim. He is a self-styled godman and very popular in North India, particularly in Punjab and Haryana. He is the supreme leader of a cult called ‘Dera Sacha Sauda’ which enjoys a following of millions in these two States and adjoining areas. As the name suggests he is not affiliated to any religion, so both Ram and Rahim are part of his name, Insaan means ‘Human’. He decided to appear in a film, perhaps to promote his brand of humanism.

CBFC denied passage of the film, on grounds that the film depicts him as the god and hence promotes superstition. As per various news reports, the CBFC apparently referred the issue to the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal which gave the filmmakers clearance on certain conditions.

This led to the resignation of CBFC chairperson Leela Samson. Though she did not cite this controversy as the reason, she did mention, according to media reports, “interference, coercion, and corruption of panel members and officers of the organisation who are appointed by the ministry”. Soon other nine members also submitted their resignations and accused the Government of being “cavalier and dismissive.”

As the name of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry came up, Minister Arun Jaitley retorted through twitter. He called them “rebels without a cause” and described Leela Samson as “non-functional chairperson”. Further, he has stated that the chairperson never brought to his notice any incident of corruption. He has blamed her and the Board members for not conducting meetings on regular basis and has clarified that there is no shortage of funds as alleged by Samson. According to Jaitley everybody has the right to approach the appellate body, as per rules and procedures.

All this is excellent material for scandal mongering media, so the fight made headlines. But in the din major points have sadly been overlooked. Members of CBFC are supposed to be reputed people from all walks of life. But the Board is ‘run’ by officers and governed by the I&B Ministry, i.e. the Government itself. There are regional boards too. Therefore, one has to pass through an organisational labyrinth to get a certificate for his/her film. This leads to corruption. Recall, former CEO of the Board Rakesh Kumar was arrested last August for asking for a hefty bribe to clear a film. The question is, whether the chairperson of the Board is free to take decisions related to finance?

It is easy to say that the Board should function on the basis of guidelines. But framing guidelines is not easy in India. A parameter which is acceptable for a certain community or group can be offensive to another community or group. Further, caste is a major force, both socially and politically. So any group or organisation or cult or caste based group can allege that a film or a part of it or just a scene or a dialogue (sometimes even a word) has hurt their ‘feelings’. These feelings can be ‘religious’ too and may even apply to a book or a painting. We mustn’t forget that ‘right wing’ organisations, having allegiance to the ‘Hindutva’ ideology, forced world renowned painter M F Hussain to flee India.

A government or the party in power at any given time may change its stance and its reaction to an incident may vary, because political mileage weighs heavy over artistic expression. This is exactly the case of Ram Rahim’s film. Last year, the BJP won Assembly elections in Haryana and for the first time, could form their government. Ram Rahim had announced his ‘backing’ to BJP, which might have helped turn many followers towards the BJP.

For the ruling BJP at the Centre giving clearance to his film is a way of saying ‘thank you’. Can anybody call an act of gratitude as “undue” favour?  The person who says so should quit any post or position offered by the Government. This is what has happened here. Interference and coercion may have taken place indirectly.

After much publicised resignation drama, the Government or I&B ministry moved swiftly to select a new panel. Looking at the list of the new CBFC it is very clear that the Modi government wants to put in place its own ‘agenda’--related to Cinema-- most probably it is defined by RSS. This is nothing short of gagging artistic expression.

If the argument that once the Censor Board has given its decision it should be respected by all, is applicable in the case of PK, then why the Board’s decision was overturned, that too so speedily, in the case of ‘MSG’?

CBFC should, rather must be allowed to do its work, that too freely. The Board should classify a film based on its content. Criteria should be artistic and cinematic. It should specify appropriate age for viewing a film and advice people so. The Government also must not interfere if it wants to uphold the principle of ‘freedom of speech’ and ‘expression’. But in the spate of ‘modification’ of every other institution it seems a distant possibility.—INFA

(Copyright, India News & Feature Alliance)