T he Businessman could be entertaining the public but voyeurs, fans and filmmakers are upset with the Censor Board for bleeping and blurring certain scenes. They prefer to see a film with profanity intact and wish to know why despite being given an ‘A' certificate, the board is adopting a proselytising attitude.
Is this a signal that our Telugu audience is ready to get past its prudishness? Rakesh, a software employee, is aghast that Shweta Baradwaj's cleavage in We Want Bad Boys number and the backs of background dancers have been blurred. He wants to know how the same has been allowed in films starring a rival hero and has been passed with a U/A certificate.
The scene in a multiplex is different. A 20-plus youngster is watching The Businessman with his parents and suddenly moves out, pretending to attend a call on his mobile just when a song comes in showing the hero necking the heroine. He was clearly embarrassed and returned after the song got over.
There are very few squeaky clean family entertainers and they seldom run. Directors argue that when a film is made with a popular hero and has the potential to make money at the box office, the board should adopt a mature and a liberal attitude and keep pace with the times.
Director Chandra Siddarth rues that the board is still following guidelines set in 1950s. He says, “What was considered a sin earlier is not bad today. Women are more sexually liberated. Children are using the internet and there is a lot more awareness. While filmmakers should have a clarity as to their film's target audience, actors should have a sense of responsibility and put their foot down if they are asked to use objectionable language. Censorship should begin at this stage and be checked at every level. Parents need to do their part of moral policing if the film is not meant for kids. It's time to go in for a change of policy like in western countries but I'm still against the usage of abusive language.”
Indraganti Mohan Krishna says it all depends on the politics of usage and the context used in the depiction of reality. If it is used in a film like Bandit Queen where it depicts a milieu it is fine, but if it's used to create a shock value it will have a bad impact in the long run. “Some day, I want to make a film that not everybody can watch. From the filmmakers' point of view there should be a solid justification as to why such language is used. If I find some lines vulgar or denigrating women, my friends ask me why I get upset, it's just a movie, they say. I will not allow my child to watch my film Grahanam till she attains an age when she can understand it.”
The audience didn't mind it when Mahesh reprimanded Samantha as Pitta Mohama (bird faced) in Dhookudu. Likewise, his fans had no problem when he moved his lips to use a cuss word at Kajal. They merely termed it bold (sic). This is not the first time a hero had used expletives but the tolerance and levels clearly show that the public is ready for a Telugu Delhi Belly .
People want to see their favourite stars indulge in sexual innuendoes, lip locks and more, whereas critics and censor officials fear the collapse of traditional values and of failing in their duty. But the bottom line is there is a sense of outrage and restlessness in the industry and public at the strict censorship. The real test lies in the way Censor Board will treat other forthcoming movies with similar content.
