[The third factor that possibly led to Nihalani’s ouster is the fact that
he has alienated like-minded filmmakers. Even movies that were deemed to be
nationalistic and supported the broad ideology of the ruling party were
torched. A recent case in point is Madhur Bhandarkar’s Indu Sarkar, which,
despite parroting the BJP’s line on the Emergency, was subjected to
numerous cuts. The cuts were lifted only after Bhandarkar approached the
revising committee. But he still had to make last-minute changes.
("The Shyam Benegal committee was set up on January 1, 2016 to lay down
rules and regulations for film certification taking note of best practices
in various parts of the world and giving sufficient and adequate space for
artistic and creative expression. The committee submitted its report on
April 29, 2016 but there has been very little progress on it so far."
Ref.: <<
http://indianexpress.com/article/what-is/what-is-shyam-benegal-committee-report-on-censorship-4616478/
>.
***What happened to the report and its recommendations?***)]
https://thereel.scroll.in/846970/pahlaj-nihalani-has-left-the-building-but-censorship-of-indian-movies-hasnt
Pahlaj Nihalani has left the building, but censorship of Indian movies
hasn’t
Filmmakers will have to be continue to be vigilant against more insidious
attacks on creative expression.
by Nandini Ramnath
Published 4 hours ago
Pahlaj Nihalani has left the building, but censorship of Indian movies
hasn’t
IANS
Pahlaj Nihalani is no longer the head of the Central Board of Film
Certification, and already, the world seems to be a quieter place.
On Friday, Nihalani was sacked five months before his term was to end. He
was replaced by Prasoon Joshi, the advertising personality, lyricist and
writer. It is hard to pinpoint the exact decision that got the producer
fired, but it seems likely that he ended up alienating even his own
Sangh-sympathising fellow travellers.
Nihalani’s list of transgressions is lengthy, but three stand out, and
could be responsible for his exit. One is the centralisation of all
decisions at the censor board, which is headquartered in Mumbai but has
eight offices across India. Over the past few months, every file, whether
significant or routine, seems to have been sent to Mumbai to get the boss’s
clearance, causing to filmmakers to walk on eggshells till the very last
minute before a movie’s due release. The censor board staff seemed to have
decided that it was preferable to leave everything to their master rather
than risk upsetting him by certifying a movie on their own.
The second factor for his dismissal could be the almost daily bad press in
India and around the world that was generated by the censor board’s
decisions. Foreign publications have been gleefully reporting the board’s
irrational and arbitrary cuts, many of which have affected prestigious
Hollywood productions and internationally acclaimed Indian films. These
decisions have turned the world’s second-largest industry into a laughing
stock, and reflect badly on the Bharatiya Janata Party as it seeks
re-election in 2019. This was a relatively easy perception fix, compared to
the intense criticism it has received about the recent spate of lynchings.
By sacrificing Nihalani, at least one set of embarrassing headlines will
disappear.
The third factor that possibly led to Nihalani’s ouster is the fact that he
has alienated like-minded filmmakers. Even movies that were deemed to be
nationalistic and supported the broad ideology of the ruling party were
torched. A recent case in point is Madhur Bhandarkar’s Indu Sarkar, which,
despite parroting the BJP’s line on the Emergency, was subjected to
numerous cuts. The cuts were lifted only after Bhandarkar approached the
revising committee. But he still had to make last-minute changes.
A power unto himself
Nihalani went far beyond the powers allotted to him by the Information and
Broadcasting ministry. He wanted to censor films before they were screened
at film festivals – which exceeds his brief – and was openly partisan
towards certain filmmakers and actors on his Twitter account. He recently
ordered that movies that depicted liquor and smoking would be given an
Adults only certificate. Emboldened by the I&B ministry’s silence over his
actions, Nihalani got bolder, even as he forced filmmakers towards greater
timidity. Hubris usually gets its comeuppance.
The tasks before the ministry are manifold. It needs to consider the
recommendations of the committee that was formed to revamp the Central
Bureau of Film Certification in January. Headed by Shyam Benegal, the
committee suggested, among other things, that the board move away from
censoring films to merely certifying them. It recommended the introduction
of an “Adult with caution” category over and above “Adults only”, and said
that the board should refrain from banning films except in the most extreme
circumstances.
The ministry also needs to assure filmmakers that Nihalani was only the
most extreme manifestation of a larger problem: the state’s continuing
interference in creative expression.
Though the Age of Pahlaj is over, the attitudes he so aggressively
championed have not been obliterated. The country’s film industries,
especially the most powerful one in Mumbai, have to ensure that they will
not be co-opted into a more insidious form of cheerleading for the reigning
ideology. The only positive thing about Pahlaj Nihalani was that he was a
known enemy. The path from censorship to certification will not end with
his departure, but will only get less obvious – and more challenging.
--
Peace Is Doable
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