All over the Board

As we head into the 70th year of independence, freedom of expression occupies prime place of debate. Cinema is an integral part of it; battles between the Censor Board and filmmakers are a routine affair these days. The concept of what constitues “socially-acceptable cinema” confronts us every time a film is banned or roughed up by the Board. The latest in Kollywood is director Ram’s Taramani, about an independent woman and her love life. The film was given an A certificate and the filmmaker created a social media flutter through his tongue-in-cheek posters directed at the Censor Board.

With lyricist Prasoon Joshi replacing Pahlaj Nihalani at the CBFC, the debate about the censor board is back again. We chat with four directors on their experiences and their recommendations for the way forward:

Film under CBFC ire:Hola Venky!

We had a funny song that used the word Buddha in it. The Board asked me to delete the word as it might offend religious sentiments. I think we tend to overreact some times. I have felt the authorities have been out of touch with the way films are made around the world.

The CBFC should introduce six or seven categories instead of two, if they are sensitive about the impact of some films on children. I think parents can decide if they should take their children to the movie hall or not. These cuts kill independent cinema. We have taken the less-travelled route of independent cinema to have our freedom. What is the point if we can’t be free and original in our expression in this space?

Film under CBFC ire: Is It Too Much To Ask

My latest documentary is about two transwomen friends trying to find an apartment in Chennai to rent. When I applied for CBFC certification, the Regional Officer in the Chennai office questioned me about showing the film to children, as the lead characters were neither men nor women! He certified it “A”. My feature Sengadal, The Dead Sea was banned, because they claimed it would affect “bilateral relations between India and Sri Lanka.”

When I initially made films on caste and gender violence, my work was constantly turned down as the Censor Board feared that it would spark off riots.But the officers never knew that I had screened them across hundreds of villages and towns. In all these places, the films only created a discourse and not any violence.

Film under CBFC ire: Agni

We know that we cannot tackle the themes of sexuality and body politics like some of the world filmmakers do. Here, we already work in a pre-censored way so that we do not get into trouble with the Board. My short film, Agni, was given an A certificate. Just because it addresses the most traumatic experience, rape. The treatmentor aesthetics didn’t seem to matter.

The irony is we also have commercial films filled with regressive sexual innuendoes and double meanings that run to packed houses. Isn’t it better to have films that tackle nudity and sexuality in an open and decent way rather than those?Nationalism is another subject that cannot be touched.

Film under CBFC ire: Ka Bodyscapes

My film was refused certification for many reasons; one was the painting of a nude man (who is also gay) depicted as Hanuman carrying a mountain of books, one of which indicates Section 377 of the IPC. This has been my longest fight in court. We even approached the Kerala High Court, which gave a verdict to certify the film. But, the Board refused to do so. We filed a contempt of court suit. Even after that, the High Court directed the Board three times to certify the film. It did not follow the court’s directions. The CBFC is an institution that reflects the attitude that a colonial master has to the natives.