It was 1991 and Mahesh Bhatt’s “Sadak” was making news because of Maharani, the first eunuch villain in Hindi films. Seasoned filmmaker Shakti Samanta, who was the head of the Central Board of Film Certification advised Bhatt to take the character out of the film. Bhatt expected a fellow filmmaker to understand his point of view. “I asked why and he said yaar, yeh to hijda hai. I said so what. They are part of our society. He said but this is cinema which people watch together. I said I will go to the court. Then he relented.” It was the time when there was political instability at the Centre. Some years later Bhatt faced a similar situation again. This time the film was “Zakhm” which took on the core ideology of the right wing elements in the society. It was 1998 and NDA government ruled. “This time Asha Parekh was at the helm of CBFC. She liked the film but expected me to show it to Mr. L.K. Advani and Bal Thackeray before the release. I said the Constitution gives me the right to reflect on the society as I understand it and won’t seek any personal favour.” The irony in the episode has yet to come. The Board forced him to digitally change the colour of the saffron head bands to black. “Without it they would not grant me Certificate. I did it even if it meant extra expenditure to save the film but then at the National Awards they gave the film the award for the Best Film on National Integration. It reminded me of that king who in the day time terrorised people and maimed them and in the night went as a healer, shed tears and nursed the wounds of the people whom he victimised during day time.”
Today, Bhatt finds the clock is being turned to dark ages of distrust. “The gap between film industry and the CBFC was bridged with great difficulty but this present climate has created a rift and feeling of suspicion all over again. The filmmakers feel very vulnerable.”
Bhatt says his major concern is self censorship. “My worry is beyond this list of cuss words. What if somebody comes with a subversive political idea which confronts their core ideology. Michael Eisner of Disney once said, ‘In America while conceiving a film I never felt that somebody is peeping over my shoulder to check whether what I was doing was right.’ My heart longs for an India where no filmmaker has to censor himself at source. However, recent utterances of the chairperson who was one among us till yesterday, who fought with us for creative freedom before getting co-opted suggest that filmmakers have to be censor themselves at source while dealing with anything remotely controversial.”
He goes on to add that irrespective of the colour of the party nothing has changed. “When I made my first film (‘Manzilein Aur Bhi Hain’) Congress government was in power. They accused me of subverting the sacred institution of marriage because I felt a multi-partner relationship can be fine for somebody. For them the idea was heretical.”
One reminds him of the recent news where “Highway”, which comments on incest, was allegedly deemed unfit for telecast on Doordarshan. “Yet ‘Janam’ which dealt with my own illegitimacy became a national event on Doordarshan. For the first time the 14 minute news broadcast was delayed because the film was so subversive. It depends on the will of individual who is chairing the institution,” Bhatt remarks.
The power centres in the industry are not showing the will to fight. “The power centres are always timid about locking horns. They always say hum ko kaya lena dena. Is main mat pado.” And then there are those whose only concern is that their titillating stuff should seep through the scissors. You can watch Chitrangadha Singh swooning to “Kundi Mat Khadkao Raja Seedhe Andar Aao Raaja” in the promos of “Gabbar” that are repeated after every few minutes on prime time on television channels. Apparently the film is against corruption! She is often followed by Sunny Leone’s “Kuchh To Locha Hai” where she indulges in some sexual innuendos. “Freedom of speech has no meaning for a society which doesn’t want to speak,” says Bhatt relating how the boss of a production house shared her concern about the issue. “I asked but you don’t make any political comment through your films!” However, he adds, in comparison to the past this time the industry is firm. “Within in the industry, there is a resolve that this far and no further. They bully if you can’t hold your ground. In this day and time they are living under the illusion of control. You can’t control thought anymore.”
Will the seniors like him take the lead? “What makes you think we won’t? We are already in the process of rationing ideas. Art should retain the power to rock to boat. The function of art is to subvert, to fan the feeling of dissent which is dying. If the alternate thought is throttled in India then there is nothing left in us.”
Director Ranjit Kapoor, whose satire “Jai Ho! Democracy” has been vetted by the CBFC because of some profanities used by members of a Parliamentary committee in the film, says in a democracy, there is no place for censorship. “The idea reminds me of Communist regimes in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe where filmmakers had to migrate to make their films. We are far from that stage but the signs are disturbing. We have shown a parliamentarian who uses cuss words and another who corrects him. I find it closer to reality. They have retained some words in the beginning but the rest have either been muted or some music has been inserted,” says Kapoor who has written dialogues of films like “Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron” and “Bandit Queen”. Ironically, Kapoor’s play which is the source of the film has never faced such issues. “The general perception is theatre is watched by evolved minds while impressionable minds turn up to watch films. I personally believe in ratings. You rate a film according to the age group which can understand the content of the film.”
Annu Kapoor feels there needs to be a proper debate on the code of conduct and guidelines of CBFC. “We have to understand that CBFC is doing a thankless job. In many cases the media gives voice to people who have vested interests in protesting against the film. In ‘Dharam Sankat Mein’, a group protested that the cap that Muslim character that I play in the film wears is similar to the one that their peer baba wears. I asked the costume designer and he said he sourced it from the market and had a receipt of it. Now if the cap of your revered guru is being sold in the market how can you complain against its use in the film. Still it was blurred in the film.” Kapoor also talks about the cultural context of the cuss words. “Unlike many western countries, in India a child born out of wedlock is not considered illegitimate by law. This shows in many ways we are an evolved society. So the creative people should also use words like bastard with utmost care.”
Prasoon Joshi says democracy is a work in progress and there should always be scope for debate. “As long as the intent is right I see no problem. One doesn’t want a stage where Censor certificate becomes an automatic process where you put the film in a computer and it gives you a certificate.” He cites the example of “Margarita With A Straw”, where he has written the songs. “The film was cleared despite its supposed explosive content.” He says his biggest concern is saving the kids from titillating content. “Your idea of fun should not create an awkward situation for me where I cannot explain my kid why everybody else in the room is laughing.”
