Mumbai: Noted film director Shyam Benegal said the government has no role in film certification and filmmakers’ concern over the Centre’s proposal to amend the Cinematograph Act is “natural”. In fact, on June 18, the Center sought public opinion on the draft Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, 2021, which proposes a provision of jail terms and fines for piracy of films. It has also proposed the right to order re-certification of the already certified film after receiving a complaint from the central government.
Filmmakers, including actors and filmmakers, had termed the proposal a “big blow to the film community” as they felt it could endanger freedom of expression. These people have also taken a letter to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Friday. Benegal said there was no justification for the proposed amendments. “I don’t understand why this thing came up,” he told PTI. I really don’t understand what is the need for this. If they want to control and have decided to operate the way they want…..want to control the media. We are a democratic country, our media should be free.
He said that if the mechanism of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) is in place, there should be no external control, especially of the government. Benegal said, “The government has no role in this matter, as they have already put in place the system of CBFC. Then why does the government need to get back into this? It is natural that filmmakers will be worried that what has the government so worried about.”
The Benegal-led committee, in its recommendations, had said that a film should not have a system to impose modifications or changes and the CBFC should function purely as a certification body. Benegal, however, said he had “no information” about the current status of that report or whether the recommendations would ever be implemented. The letter sent to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting regarding the amendment has been signed by more than three thousand people, including Vishal Bhardwaj, Anurag Kashyap, Shabana Azmi. “We recommend that the powers of the Central Government to withdraw the certificate of a film should be removed from the Bill,” the letter said.
Benegal said the existing Act already provides that the government can withdraw a film if it is “grossly unconstitutional” or a “threat” to national integrity. But it can also be interpreted as “anti-government” which will “create problems,” he said, adding that strangling dissent would naturally be worrying.
