''WHY MAKE A LAW THAT FORCES PEOPLE TO GO CORRUPT?''

One of the hot burning topics in the country is the Udta Punjab censor certificate issue. Though the issue is almost sorted out now as the Bombay High Court has asked the CBFC to clear the film with just one cut, there are concerns that still need to be addressed. Few film-makers across the country claim that the Censor Board must be abolished.

When we had an honest chat about this issue to one of the important members from CBFC, S Ve Shekher, he opened on the multi-level issue pertaining to CBFC.

“CBFC - Central Board of Film Certification is only to certify a film and not censor it. We have expert panel that not just involves film makers but also specialists from all kinds of fields, from doctors to lawyers. So it is a panel of experts,  not just a few random individuals who ask the makers to cut scenes just like that. We are responsible enough to know that every film maker has invested so much money into a creation.

I don’t speak for or against CBFC. There have been mistakes. If a CBFC committee has asked to remove a dog’s name that has been superficially christened as Jackie Chan, then that is wrong according to me. But not everyone makes mistakes. Every producer wants their film to get ‘U’ as only such films get tax exempted.

Why make a law that forces people to go corrupt?
Why can’t good creations be recognized?

Similarly every film maker fixes a date and then rushes to get a censor certificate. I request film makers to plan accordingly and have two months buffer time for censor.”