All of our controversial diktats on film censoring could soon be a thing of the past. At least that’s what the Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, indicated at the recently concluded FICCI Frames 2015 convention.
India could soon be looking at a rating system for films just like Hollywood, online processing of film certification and a single window clearance for permissions for film shoots. Rathore was in conversation with Siddharth Roy Kapur, MD, Disney UTV, at the mega 3 day meet up between the Media & Entertainment Industry and the Government.
Speaking at the session, Rathore said, “The idea is that, we as parents or individuals know what we are going in to see – whether it’s an adult film. Perhaps we may bring in the US certification like 12 plus, 16 plus, whatsoever it is so that we as individuals are aware that X is certified as such and such film and the reasons for it.”
The minister also distanced the government from the CBFC’s recent controversial rulings by saying, “All of you may feel that what the certification board is doing is what the government has directed it to do. Let me make it very clear that the government believes it is a certification board and to that extent when we do the new Cinematograph Act, we might just take the letter ‘C’ out because it confuses people between censorship and certification and may call it a ‘Rating Board’. The certification board is an independent body and to that extent the fears are reduced and the CBFC will perhaps demonstrate it in the upcoming films as well.”
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