Need Some Censorship But We Shouldn't Go Backwards: Ajay Devgn on OTT

Ajay Devgn on screening 'Bhuj' for Army and IAF and the process one has to follow while making a film on the army.

Ajay Devgn on OTT content censorship.

(Photo: Twitter)

Ajay Devgn, whose film Bhuj: The Pride of India just dropped on Disney+ Hotstar, will also soon make his digital debut with the series Rudra - The Edge of Darkness. The actor speaking to The Quint opens up about OTT censorship and how he had to show his film to the Indian Army to get their approval.

Any possibility that Bhuj: The Pride of India might get a theatre release later?

Ajay Devgn: I don't think so, it's too late for that. There's a commitment to Disney. Now, it's their product, it's their call. It was committed one-and-a-half-years back. We were releasing this actually last August, but because the process got delayed, because the lockdown and all we couldn't shoot and things like that, it got delayed, but it was already committed. And for me, theatres are theatres. But the fact is that also, when you make a product, as an actor, or as a director, or a producer, or any technician, we want maximum people to come and see it, like it or not like it, at least you want them to see it and OTT is a great platform where we have maximum viewership. Like we were discussing, people are recognising actors in shows like The Family Man, and a lot of other shows. So that appreciation if you're getting on whatever platform it is, why wouldn't you want them?

Bhuj starring Ajay Devgn, Sanjay Dutt, Sonakshi Sinha.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter)

You are also doing a web series, Rudra. So what made you choose this medium and what is the difference that you see when you're working on a film and working on a web series?

Ajay Devgn: I think it's a good balance, films and once in a while OTT if there's a great show. Why not?

The shooting process is the same, time taken is the same. As an actor, maybe you can take a little more liberties, where a film you have to complete it in two hours, when you're performing a scene, you have to finish the line faster, you can't waste time. You can't take your time grasping things. But here you can really have your pauses and performance. So, this is a nice difference.

Ajay Devgn makes his digital debut with Rudra.

There is this constant debate about OTT censorship. Now that you are all set to make a digital debut with a web series what is your take on it?

OTT censorship to a point should happen but there's a lot of confusion going on, how will they go about it. So, that is one thing with censorship. There should be self-censorship and some limitations. There should be some censorship but we should not go backwards.

Ajay Devgn, Actor

The Defence Ministry has written to the CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification) asking them to direct producers of movies and web series to seek permission from the ministry before airing films depicting the Indian Army or military personnel. Did you have to do the same for Bhuj?

We did, we showed it to the IAF (Indian Air Force) and they liked it and even the army. I don't know somewhere, they are very conscious about it, which is fair enough, that's a good thing. Now, two weeks before you start filming or making something on the Army or Air Force, you have to submit the script to take clearances about what you are making. So, it's not that after you make the film, you go to them saying 'Okay, this is what we made'. First, they have to okay the script, so it has become a process.

Ajay Devgn, Actor

Don't you think there is always a fear that a war film may become jingoistic?

Ajay Devgn: There has to be a balance. I think if the balance tips you are screwed. It's a very thin line.

Because as a creative person you want to do so much more but have so many restrictions.

But that is a problem in our country any which ways. Forget about Army and Air Force. Any person will get up and say I am from this sect and that sect and you can't do this.

Ajay Devgn, Actor

Ajay Devgn: Like in Rudra I was doing something... so one of the guys finds out who the murderer is, the dialogue was 'Woh, taxi wala hai'. So it was like don't say taxi wala because then taxi guys union will get offended. So we had to change the lines. So it's very complicated. If you have a characters name who is negative, who is given a surname, which is a typical surname. They will wake up, so you can't. So you have to make it a Kumar, make it something generic.

So, what went into playing Vijay Karnik in Bhuj?

Ajay Devgn: I think it's a great story to tell. It's just not about Vijay Karnik. Bhuj is about a lot of heroes, and Bhuj is about those women who had nothing to do with Army, Navy or Air Force. Without those women, it was an impossible task. So it's a story of a lot of people. It's a story of a battle, a battle, which if we would have lost...There was 99% chances that we had lost it. And if we had lost, India would have been divided and that whole section would have not been a part of India. So, it's a great story to tell.

What's the update on Maidaan?

Ajay Devgn: We need to complete it. It's a brilliant film, shaped up so well. Fabulous. It would be one of my best films and I can say that.

Ajay Devgn in Maidaan.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter)