Films like Udta Punjab , which portray the burning issues of real life, should not be indiscriminately censored (“ Udta Punjab to soar with one cut, ‘A’ certificate”, June 14). They create awareness about the canker that eats into the vitals of society. The censor board has the right to order alterations to communal references but the message intended should come through. On a different note, I feel that the censor board needs to address the more important issue of how romance is handled in films. In the name of “freedom of creative expression” or the specious argument of “the script demands it”, the subject has transformed itself on screen into something which a family finds very uncomfortable to watch.
C.V. Krishna Manoj,Hyderabad
The Bombay High Court’s verdict to release Udta Punjab with minimal cuts is welcome. At the same time, there is a need to delve into the larger question regarding the role of the CBFC. Pre-censoring is a unique feature of film media. The board’s mandate needs to be amended and its role clearly defined as one of certification and not censoring.
Shyami Govind,Thiruvananthapuram
The irony in this entire controversy is how films that portray western culture without any theme or morals appear to be easily certified while films like Udta Punjab , which highlight the reality — in this case, drug abuse — end up being censored. The case also shows that if the designated authorities fail to perform their tasks, the burden on the judiciary only increases. Another point is that Anurag Kashyap’s production house is financially sound to afford the costs of litigation but many small film-makers cannot do so. I wonder why the media doesn’t write on this aspect and look into films that just disappeared this way.
S. Bindu Sravya,Visakhapatnam
Even after many years have elapsed, I cling to poignant memories of the subjects of drug menace and alcoholism so ably dealt with in films such as The Man with the Golden Arm , starring Frank Sinatra, and I'll Cry Tomorrow , with a notable performance by Susan Hayward. I firmly believe that more such films of topical interest must be produced and the powerful censor board should not intervene, leaving it to the judgment of a discerning public instead.
S.N. Sarma,Bengaluru
The adage is that films are the mirror of society. Udta Punjab is about the problem of drugs in Punjab. The people of India have a right to know about this problem and how it can be tackled. Why then did the censor board have a problem with this? Perhaps the controversy arose out of political exigencies.
Azaz Hafiz Mani,Bhagalpur, Bihar
It is rather disconcerting that the court seems to have gone against the popular sentiments of the nation with regard to the contents of the movie, but more disturbingly, it has come down on the CBFC by advising it not to act like a “grandmother”. A grandmother represents the personification of wisdom, true values, knowledge, experience, and the authority to enforce moral courage and discipline in society. It has conveyed the impression that old values and opinions are now worthless, perhaps unwittingly and unknowingly, giving an impetus to moral degeneration. One can change with the times but there is no need to make compromises with established societal norms and values.
Prabhanjan R. Sangam,Secunderabad
