The sacking of Anupam Kher as the Chairman of the Censor Board yesterday has fuelled speculation that the decision came in the wake of delaying the documentary filmmaker Rakesh Sharma's film Final Solution on the politics of hate in Gujarat following the riots post the Godhra incident.
Today, Sharma says that "the two matters are unrelated". It may be the only politically correct thing to say right now but there is no denying the fact that trouble has been brewing ever since Sharma submitted his film before the CBFC for the Censor Certificate. It is well known that Kher and the examining committee appointed by him for the film have BJP affiliations.
Final Solution, on its part, raises uncomfortable issues such as induced hatred in the masses, lays bare the intent behind the pogrom in Gujarat and with sufficient evidence nails those that committed the crimes. Clearing the film "without a single cut" while BJP was in power would have made a lot of people in the BJP see red and go hot under the collar.
The Cinematogaph Certification rules very clearly state that any film has to be either cleared or rejected within 21 days of submission. Prior to that, if the Board feels that if there is scope for an adverse ruling, it allows the filmmaker an oral hearing. In any case, the Board has to take a stance one way or another. In Sharma's case, however the two member panel comprising VK Singla, Regional Officer CBFC and Amitabh Sharma, Assistant Regional Officer, CBFC appointed to preview the film raised objections over a period of months, including not setting a date for preview to begin with.
{{/usCountry}}The Cinematogaph Certification rules very clearly state that any film has to be either cleared or rejected within 21 days of submission. Prior to that, if the Board feels that if there is scope for an adverse ruling, it allows the filmmaker an oral hearing. In any case, the Board has to take a stance one way or another. In Sharma's case, however the two member panel comprising VK Singla, Regional Officer CBFC and Amitabh Sharma, Assistant Regional Officer, CBFC appointed to preview the film raised objections over a period of months, including not setting a date for preview to begin with.
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