Kamal Haasan Joins Campaign Against New Films Law, Says India Doesn't Need 3 Monkeys

Just a few days ago on Twitter, filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj asked a legit question. He asked, ¡°What is the meaning of a censor certificate if the film can be reexamined on anybody¡¯s complaint?¡±

Bhardwaj had written in context to the proposed cinematograph act which has been touted as problematic by many filmmakers. Joining Bhardwaj in the campaign against the proposed cinematograph act is politician Kamal Haasan.

Agencies

What does the proposed cinematograph act say?

Agencies

-The act apparently gives the Centre powers to override the film certification board and ¡°re-examine¡± films it has cleared.

-It further aims at scrapping off the Film Certificate Appellate Tribunal, which is a medium for filmmakers to appeal against the decision of the certification board.

-The proposed amendments to the Cinematograph Act of 1952 provide ¡°revisionary powers¡± to the center and gives them additional power to ¡°re-examine¡± films that the Central Board has already cleared of Film Certification.

The move has obviously triggered the reactions of people from the film fraternity.

Image for representational purpose only

Kamal Haasan took to Twitter to express his reasoning for extending support to the campaign. In his tweets, he wrote:

Cinema, media and the literati cannot afford to be the three iconic monkeys of India. Seeing, hearing and speaking of impending evil is the only medication against attempts to injure and debilitate democracy. (1/2)

¡ª Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) June 28, 2021

Please act, voice your concern for freedom and liberty. @MIB_India#cinematographact2021 #raiseyourvoice (2/2)

¡ª Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) June 28, 2021

7 Khoon Maaf and Kaminey filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj also expressed his opinions and had written,

¡°What a strange proposition to amend the law on film certification. What is the meaning of a censor certificate if the film can be reexamined on anybody¡¯s complaint? The ministry has asked the public for its opinion,¡± Vishal Bhardwaj said. ¡°I urge the Indian film fraternity and film lovers to oppose this unfair and unreasonable provision by writing an email to dhanpreet.kaur@ips.gov.in and sharing their opinion before the deadline of 2 July,¡± he added.

The center, last week, had released the draft bill and sought comments from the people, which will be accepted by July 2.

Many reports have claimed that filmmakers who have raised their voice against the film have also drafted an apt response.

A group of actors and filmmakers, including Anurag Kashyap, Hansal Mehta, Vetri Maaran, Nandita Das, Shabana Azmi, Farhan Akhtar, Zoya Akhtar, and Dibakar Banerjee, have written an open letter to the Information & Broadcasting Ministry.

Twitter

Protesting against the government¡¯s proposed amendments to the 1952 Cinematograph Act, they called this ¡°endanger freedom of expression and democratic dissent.¡±

The online letter has 1400 signatories from people who belong to different areas of work and was drafted on Sunday evening by Eeb Allay Ooo! fame filmmaker Prateek Vats, Documentary filmmaker Shilpi Gulati and an academician and a lawyer.

Prateek Vats

¡°As another blow to the film fraternity, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has proposed new amendments to the Cinematograph Act under which the Central Government would have the power to revoke or recall certification of films which have already been cleared by the Censor Board. Undermining the sovereignty of the Censor Board and the Supreme Court, this provision will effectively give the Central Government supreme power over cinema exhibition in the country potentially endangering freedom of expression and democratic dissent,¡± the letter said.

The excerpt further reads: ¡°This will also render filmmakers powerless at the hands of the state as more vulnerable to threats, vandalism, and intimidation of mob censors. The proposal to amend the Cinematograph Act comes two month Centre dissolved the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) in April 2021."