Censor board behaving like the Taliban: Filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj
His unabashed use of abuses and rustic lingo in his films
has always added to the power of his cinema. National Award winning filmmaker Vishal
Bhardwaj has reacted strongly to diktats on film content, saying that
the Central Board of Film Certification is behaving like the Taliban and that
the body should be “chopped off”.In an interview with IANS, the multi-talented Bhardwaj – a
writer, singer, composer, director and producer – spoke uninhibitedly about the
curb on filmmakers’ creativity. The debate on censorship guidelines has been on for a long
time, but it was a list of cuss words to be banned from films – as suggested by
the CBFC under filmmaker Pahlaj Nihalani’s chairmanship – that added fuel to
the fire.
Bhardwaj says that while Indian films are “moving towards
international recognition”, the government should exercise a limit on the
CBFC’s power to curb the “art form” that is cinema. Excerpts from the interview:
Q: Do you feel that Indian cinema is getting recognised
globally?
A: Yes, we are really moving towards international
recognition… We are in the best of times at the moment. The line between
commercial and arthouse cinema has blurred. Today we have films like ‘The
Lunchbox’ and ‘Badlapur’ doing such great business… we have audience for each
and every kind of film.
Q: But hasn’t Bollywood become stereotypical in its scripts?
A: The whole cinema should not be called stereotyped.
Stories of films like ‘Badlapur’ and ‘Haider’ are totally different and unique
from what we have seen till now. In fact, we are breaking the stereotype image
of our cinema.
But, if we talk about commercial cinema, that will remain
stereotyped.
Q: The Indian entertainment industry has been facing a backlash
for its content — whether it’s the AIB Roast, Aamir Khan’s ‘PK’ controversy or
the CBFC’s announcement regarding the words that should be omitted from films.
Don’t you feel Indian filmmakers are being dominated?
A: It’s really sad what is happening right now. The Censor
Board is behaving like a Taliban. They should be censored and chopped. They
censor our films, they should be chopped first. They should know their
limits…it’s (film is) an art form. They should be restricted by the government, and I hope that
the Information and Broadcasting Ministry realises soon that film is a form of
art. They are not only about ‘gaana-bajaana’ and ‘nautanki’. That I&B
ministry has to understand…their (the censor’s) scissors should be snatched
away and thrown into a valley.
Q. But don’t abuses in films have a negative effect on the
audience?
A. Why? When you use an abuse on the road, won’t that have a
negative effect on you? A film is the mirror of the reality and not vice versa.
A film doesn’t create reality, it just reflects reality. Either the government makes a rule that people shouldn’t
abuse on road. Then we will feel that the government wants to change the
character of the nation. If the government really wants to make a change, then
they should consider abusing behind the camera as a crime too. The society
should change, not films, because filmmakers only show what all is happening in
the society. If we make a film on Kabir (poet), will people start
speaking couplets on the road? If not, then how will they start abusing after
watching films?
We have a culture and society where people abuse on roads…we
have a style…when two friends meet, even they abuse each other…So now, are we
going to make an Afghanistan out of India, or what (with the Censor Board’s
diktats)?
