I&B minister appoints 6-member panel headed by the filmmaker to 'review' the Censor Board.
Sobhana K Nair (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 2, 2016)
Minister of I&B Arun Jaitley has asked filmmaker Shyam Benegal and a five-member committee to review the functioning of the Censor Board of Film Certification (CBFC). In the 11+ months since writer, director, producer and self-professed 'Modi Man' Pahlaj Nihalani has chaired the Board, it's made questionable decisions and been dogged by bad press.
In response to a question on Nihalani's stewardship of the Board, Jaitley has said on record, "Well, I would like the Certification Board to be controversy free." Now 81-year-old Dadasaheb Phalke Award winner Benegal and his panel will have two months to undo the tangle that Nihalani has embroiled the Board in. The committee announced Friday also includes filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, ad guru Piyush Pandey, veteran film journalist Bhawana Somaaya, National Film Development Corporation managing director Nina Lath Gupta, and the joint secretary (Films) I&B, Sanjay Murthy as the Member Convenor.
The official press note of the ministry reads, "The Committee would recommend broad guidelines / procedures... for the benefit of the chairperson and other members of the Screening Committee" Cutting through the bureaucratese, a senior official in the ministry said the committee's basic work would be to end "arbitration". "This is to draw a lakshman rekha around the board. Shyam Benegal's committee will lay down broad guidelines on what they can do and what they can't," he said.
Nihalani's flubs have been colourful enough to sustain headlines. Days after his appointment, a list of cuss words to be excised from films was circulated. He went on to brand as 'anti-national', the students protesting Gajendra Chauhan's appointment as FTII chief. And he didn't rise in popularity rankings by curbing James Bond's license to kiss for a full 30 seconds to a meagre 8, in Spectre.
In an interview with Mirror, he justified his decisions through this analogy, "This means you want to do sex in your house with your door open. And show to people the way you are doing sex." But perhaps most embarrassingly for the government, Nihalani released a cringe-inducing film Mera Desh Hai Mahaan, an ode to Modi's premiership, which played in theatres across the country.
Sources say, the government did not want to take any "knee jerk" reaction against Nihalani but wanted to convey the impression that it was cracking down on the Board.
Nihalani had been appointed chairman on 20 Jan 2015, four days after Leela Samson and13 other members of the CBFC resigned—their recommendation of a ban on the film MSG: Messenger of God did not get the support of the government
Benegal's committee has reportedly been told to come up with a framework with a view to making the Board 'efficient', 'transparent' and 'user friendly'. "So no more harassing a producer by delaying handing over the certificate till the last day," said a senior official.
Speaking to the media, Benegal stated that rules made 10 years may not be suitable now and he has never been in favour of cutting films. However, he left room for later committees to revisit any decisions this one takes, "From time to time, things do become controversial and sometimes they don't. There won't be any question of a permanent solution. It's a continuing thing," Benegal said. -With inputs from Sanyukta Iyer
THE INDUSTRY REACTS
"This is great news. Shyam Benegal being appointed to revamp the Censor Board means that there is finally some hope!" - Kabir Bedi
"While we will continue to follow the law of the land, there is a need for change, for discussion and debate. I am happy that Shyam Benegal ji, a senior and much-respected filmmaker will head this committee. All of us filmmakers should abide by what is discussed and decided upon." - Shoojit Sircar
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Bollywood filmmakers are cautiously optimistic after Centre hints it may do away with censorship and restrict itself to merely certifying movies for suitable audiences
Shubha Shetty Saha (MID-DAY; January 2, 2016)
Bollywood filmmakers are cautiously optimistic after Centre hints it may do away with censorship and restrict itself to merely certifying movies for suitable audiences
The first day of 2016 has seen the Centre finally taking a firm step to end the censor board’s comical reign, appointing a panel headed by Shyam Benegal to revamp the body.
The appointment, which follows months of public outrage over the board’s functioning, is seen as a clever attempt by the Centre to get rid of Censor Board chief Pahlaj Nihalani without actually sacking him.
Nihalani’s term has been a huge embarrassment to the Centre, with the Central Board of Film Certification remaining in the news for all the wrong reasons through last year. Nihalani’s first blunder was to issue a list of cuss words, which included innocuous words like ‘Bombay’.
Almost every week saw a controversy, with the censor board chopping scenes and muting ‘cuss words’. Things came to a pass when cinemas aired a tacky music video Nihalani produced to highlight the achievements of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
mid-day had reported on November 26 about how the PMO was miffed with Nihalani and he was to soon get the boot. Probably because sacking him outright would have meant the government admitting it made a mistake by appointing him, the Shyam Benegal panel was appointed, sources said.
The panel will submit its report on how to modernise the archaic body in two months. Others named in the panel include film-maker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, National Film Development Council MD Nina Lath Gupta, Union Joint Secretary (Films) Sanjay Murthy, ad man Piyush Pandey and veteran film critic Bhawana Somaaya.
A government statement said: “The recommendations of this Committee are expected to provide a holistic framework and enable those tasked with the work of certification of films to discharge their responsibilities keeping in view this framework, the statement said.
The statement also said that the committee is expected to take note of “how censorship works in different parts of the world, and make sure that the film industry is given sufficient space for creative and aesthetic expression.”
Shyam Benegal told mid-day: “Yes, I have been told about it. I am yet to understand what really is expected of me. I am out of town, I hope to give you more information once I am back tomorrow.”
Another member of the panel, on condition of anonymity, also admitted that they are not really aware of what is expected of them at this point of time. “We are expecting to be briefed soon, and this seems like a big move in the right direction,” said the member.
Reliable sources, however, told mid-day that the government is actually planning to take a bigger step — of doing away with censorship altogether and limiting the board’s mandate to just certification.
A source close to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry said this huge reform is on its way and it could be the most revolutionary decision taken by a government in the last 70 years. The source added that film associations might also get to choose the members of the censor board, with the government staying out of the process. Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri said if this comes through, it would be a historic decision for the industry.
“I know the government is planning absolute reform and there will be no middle path,” Agnihotri told mid-day.
“It is absolutely brilliant that the government has chosen some liberal and sensible people in the panel. In the last 70 years, the industry kept asking for abolishing of censorship, but it looks like it is being done now. Only certificates will be given. For adult films, there will be two levels of certification. They are planning to follow the American model. The new rules will be implemented in six months. Also, it is heartening to know that the regulation body will be picked and chosen by the film industry itself,” he said.
Mahesh Bhatt said while he was happy that people of repute have been chosen for the panel, the report it files should be taken seriously and implemented without delay. “I just spoke to Shyam babu (Benegal) and he doesn’t even know what he’s expected to do,” said Bhatt. “I remember he was approached to head such a panel back in 1981 and nothing happened. A similar exercise was initiated in 2004 during UPA and nothing happened. I get a feeling of déjà vu. There is a lot of hue and cry, but nothing happens on ground. You can’t run a 21st century industry with a 19th century mindset. I am suffering at the hands of the board with my current movie. So excuse me if I am totally cynical about this thing. In fact, when we had met Arun Jaitley, he had said the PM wants the board to function the way it is.”
Another person skeptical is filmmaker Hansal Mehta. But he said the names in the panel made him optimistic. “I am trying very hard to be optimistic because the members chosen of the panel have very good credentials,” said Mehta. “It is a good mix of people who genuinely care about cinema. It is a good move. But to think the CBFC will still exist is unsettling. Also, the statement has apparently said something to the effect that it is based on the vision of the prime minister. I wonder what the PM has got to do with creative expression of filmmakers. I am also worried this could be an eyewash like it was earlier, when Rajyavardhan Rathore and Jaitley made promises that things will change and nothing happened. Still, I am hoping for the best.”