Tinsel Town: Finding a way around censorship

David Fincher’s Gone Girl opened in America to rave reviews from fans and critics alike.

Back home in India, though film buffs were visibly excited about the film’s release, there remained a niggling fear in the minds of many. 

In 2011, Fincher had refused to release

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo in India when the censor board imposed some cuts on it.

Audiences were also wary after their experience of

The Wolf of Wall Street (in which significant portions were cut by censors in spite of the film being rated ‘A’).

This time around, however, the director and his team found a way to work around conservative Indian censors. Using innovative editing techniques and visual manipulation, Gone Girl was certified without a single cut.

A digital visual zoom-in, as the audio played unencumbered, instead of deleting scenes in entirety is all it took to maintain a semblance of continuity. 

Venkatesh Chakravarthy, regional director at L.V. Prasad Film & TV Academy, said, “Directors have found different ways to challenge censors, over the years. In Parasakthi , for instance, there was a scene where a part of the audio was muted while the visuals remained untouched. Despite this, the audience knew exactly what was being communicated, beating the system of State censors.

In rural areas, which are less monitored, adding ‘bonus footage’ is a regular phenomenon. “The digital medium today has increased the possibilities for visual manipulation,” said Mr. Chakravarthy.