India produces more movies than most countries in the world. About 1600-2000 movies in both Hindi and regional languages are released each year in our country. The gross box office collection until December 2015 was a whopping $2.1 billion, as per recent data. Our film industry is not just robust and money-minting; bit also educates and reflects the society at large. But, in India, movies have always drawn a visibly uneven interest from movie lovers and scissor-happy censors who are keen on recommending random cuts rather than certifying movies. Adding fuel to the furor are some foot-in-mouth remarks of people who play divisive religious & political cards for momentary gains.
Censoring of films came in to existence in India in 1920, with the passing of the Indian Cinematography act. But lately, censors have been acting like paranoid parents and imposing several meaningless edits that clearly disfigure the art. Censoring has now become moral policing on a different level. Is that really necessary? Should films be censored stringently or do we need to moderate the censorship guidelines a bit? Despite having strong and meaningful story lines to boast of, many films are becoming targets of ire and censorship for all the illogical reasons possible. Unwanted controversies get stirred and futile debates get ignited overnight. They spread like wildfire in no time, despite being long on contentious statements and short on substance. Guys, we've got many other real issues to debate on! A movie is not a burning issue.
Most of us have the knowledge and metal ability to clearly recognize the borderline between film and reality. Yet some people raise a whole cacophony of arguments and counterarguments for no reason. The entire hullabaloos finally end up curtailing directors' freedom to speak their mind. Numerous plot-changing scenes and dialogues that are deemed “undesirable” by a few handpicked appointees get snipped off from many worth-watching movies. It’s undemocratic and ominous, especially in a country like ours. That said, I don’t believe in overlooking explicit violence or vulgar and crass content. But censoring cult classics or romantic and historical dramas with the same yardstick is beyond logic and reason. In a modern world with an ever growing number of educated people, film censorship should be a tailored cut down that doesn’t spoil the beauty and essence of the art.
By the way, aren’t censors and people who clamor for unreasonable bans on movies aware that anyone can get seamless access to uncensored and unrated content online at the click of a button? In other words, censoring indirectly encourages piracy.
Censoring of films came in to existence in India in 1920, with the passing of the Indian Cinematography act. But lately, censors have been acting like paranoid parents and imposing several meaningless edits that clearly disfigure the art. Censoring has now become moral policing on a different level. Is that really necessary? Should films be censored stringently or do we need to moderate the censorship guidelines a bit? Despite having strong and meaningful story lines to boast of, many films are becoming targets of ire and censorship for all the illogical reasons possible. Unwanted controversies get stirred and futile debates get ignited overnight. They spread like wildfire in no time, despite being long on contentious statements and short on substance. Guys, we've got many other real issues to debate on! A movie is not a burning issue.
Most of us have the knowledge and metal ability to clearly recognize the borderline between film and reality. Yet some people raise a whole cacophony of arguments and counterarguments for no reason. The entire hullabaloos finally end up curtailing directors' freedom to speak their mind. Numerous plot-changing scenes and dialogues that are deemed “undesirable” by a few handpicked appointees get snipped off from many worth-watching movies. It’s undemocratic and ominous, especially in a country like ours. That said, I don’t believe in overlooking explicit violence or vulgar and crass content. But censoring cult classics or romantic and historical dramas with the same yardstick is beyond logic and reason. In a modern world with an ever growing number of educated people, film censorship should be a tailored cut down that doesn’t spoil the beauty and essence of the art.
By the way, aren’t censors and people who clamor for unreasonable bans on movies aware that anyone can get seamless access to uncensored and unrated content online at the click of a button? In other words, censoring indirectly encourages piracy.