Delhi designers unhappy with FTV ban

Delhi designers are not happy that FTV has been taken off air for 10 days, but say the channel needs to respect Indian sensibilities when it comes to showing nudity.

Delhi designers are not happy that

FTV

has been taken off air for 10 days, but say the channel needs to respect Indian sensibilities when it comes to showing nudity.

FTV

, popular at bars and salons and fashion events around the country, was banned by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry for airing images of “semi-nude women” on the ramp. The channel will be off air from March 12 to March 21, reopening in time for the Wills India Lifestyle Fashion Week on March 24.

The ban came six months after the channel flighted a re-run of a catwalk show from the late British fashion designer Alexander McQueen on September 4. The Ministry said the visuals were “denigrating women and not suitable for unrestricted public exhibition”.

Indian designers say showing nudity on screen is just not on. “We don’t want under age people to see such shows. Instead of banning the channel, the Ministry can just sieve certain shows,” says designer Nida Mahmood.

“The channel should decide responsibly on its content, which can be watched by the entire family,” says designer Anjana Bhargav.

Designer Vijay Arora says, “If they show programmes of such explicit nature, they deserve such action.”

This is not the first time FTV has been banned in India. In 2007, it was banned for 60 days for the show Midnight Hot, which showed “skimpily clad models”. The ban was lifted after the channel apologised.

AXN

was banned in 2007 for more than a month for its show,

World’s Sexiest Commercials

.