The recently-released Shivarajkumar-starrer Mass Leader , which is about an army officer fighting terrorism, had the tricolour blurred in all the scenes where it appears. The soon-to-be-released Bharjari , starring Dhruva Sarja, may also have to do the same if the director fails to get a go-ahead from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in time.
There is a stipulation set down by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), following a six-month-old Supreme Court order, which not many Kannada film-makers are aware of. It is now mandatory for every film using the national flag to get the prior permission of the MHA. Film-makers are to specify whether the script really demands use of national flag and should abide by the measurements of the flag and flagpole, as prescribed by law.
“I am apprehensive of getting permission from MHA in time. We may also be forced to blur the national flag,” said Chetan Kumar, director of Bharjari . Tarun Shivappa, producer of Mass Leader was told by the Regional Office of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), Bengaluru, to “delete the flag or mask it” citing MHA orders.
When contacted, Srinivasappa, Regional Officer, CBFC-Bengaluru, said the rules came about after the apex court’s recent verdict. The national flag has been specified as an emblem in the (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950. The flag cannot be used for the purpose of any trade or business, without prior permission of the MHA.
Penalty for violation
Violation of the norm shall be punishable, with imprisonment for a term which may be extended to three years, or with fine, or both. “The board had asked the producer of Mass Leader to blur the tricolour flag in some of the scenes in the absence of permission,” he said.
A former member of the Advisory Panel told The Hindu that the Supreme Court, on November 30, 2016, observed that it is the sacred obligation of every citizen to abide by the ideals enshrined in the Constitution, and one such idea is to show respect for national anthem and national flag. The CBFC, in its objectives of film certification in India, says that national symbols and emblems are not shown except in accordance with the provisions of the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950.
Director of Mass Leader , Narasimha, said that he was not aware of the rules. “By the time CBFC asked us to blur the flag in all the scenes, the film was completed and we did not have the prescribed permission. As we did not want to dilute the intensity of the scene by deleting it, we compromised with blurring the flag,” said the director.
Bharjari is about a patriotic family, which hoisted the national flag on all national festivals. “We shot a few scenes of the fluttering tricolour without the knowledge of the norms of the MHA and CBFC. We are trying our best to get permission,” said Mr. Chetan Kumar.
