While the censor board has implemented a new rule stating that any film with smoking related scenes will be certified U/A certificate. Earlier the films would get ‘A’ or ‘U/A’ certificate for any adult content like violence and sex. Now the new rule has come that the films showing smoking related scenes will get U/A certificate even if they are eligible to get clean ‘U’ certificate.
The censor board has set that new rule that the directors should avoid including smoking related scenes. Even if they include, the message ‘Smoking is injurious to health’ should be propagated through the respective hero at the starting of the film and during interval. Apart from that the message should scroll during the smoking related scenes. The cigarette brand should not be shown in close shots.
According to censor board member Dhanalakshmi, it’s our responsibility to limit the smoking scenes. These set of new rules were implemented nation wide. We will definitely follow them in Andhra Pradesh. We have already conveyed this to producers stating that any film that is eligible for clean ‘U’ certificate will be given ‘U/A’ certificate if there are any smoking related scenes.”
Recently few films got the ‘U/A’ certificate only because of smoking scenes. However, the film industry is not happy with this kind of new rule. Even the Bollywood bigwigs are against such rules. Aamir Khan conveyed his unhappiness in this manner. He said, “I’m planning to make a film on Vincent Churchill. But how is it possible to craft a film without smoking scenes. Even if I try to do so, will I be able to do justice to my story? If the government is so much concerned about the public’s health, it should straight away attack the cigarette manufacturers.”
D Suresh Babu expressed his agony in this manner. He said, “The government will give license to sell the liquor but we should not exhibit it on the screen. This is something like the government unable to control the public is trying to show its power on us. We will appeal to the court. We may or may not get justice.”
Director Parasuram, whose ‘Solo’ was released recently said, “These kind of new rules are creating problems for us. Recently released ‘Solo’ is fully eligible for clean ‘U’ certificate but the censor board objected to give ‘U’ certificate only due to smoking scenes. We will anyhow display in the beginning of the film that ‘smoking is injuries to health’. We also do have any objection to propagate about that through our hero. However, it’s not possible to scroll the words whenever the smoking scene is appearing.”
According to T Prasanna Kumar, the films that were screened recently in Goa International Film Festivals has smoking scenes. “Any director or producer will include such scenes only if the story demands. We are showing whatever is happening in the society and nothing strange. Hence these are baseless rules”, he said.
