Former IPS officer-turned politician K Annamalai wants strict censorship of movies, slamming the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for overlooking purportedly problematic themes and portrayals.
Annamalai referred to the controversy surrounding director Geetu Mohandas’ Toxic to make his argument. The Yash-starrer movie has been facing backlash for its depiction of masculinity, sex and violence on screen. However, Annamalai didn't name the movie directly.
Pointing out that people are frequently exposed to “extreme violence and depictions that objectify women,” the politician, who previously served as the president of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Tamil Nadu state unit, demanded that the CBFC do its job effectively.
Deep Dive
What were K Annamalai's concerns regarding the film 'Toxic'?
How does K Annamalai propose to enforce film censorship in India?
What is the general reception of the film 'Toxic' following its release?
“The censor board should be even stricter. When we go to the US or European countries, look at how strict their censor boards are. In India, however, many scenes we see are unacceptable — scenes that have no regard for age groups like 16, 18, or 14. So, some films should be completely censored,” he pointed out while addressing the media on Thursday, August 27.
He, however, asserted that he was not calling for movie bans.
{{/usCountry}}He, however, asserted that he was not calling for movie bans.
{{/usCountry}}“I’m not saying films should be banned, but they should be properly censored. Also, theatres should strictly enforce who can and can’t watch such movies. Even after many films get age-specific certificates, theatres don’t enforce them; they let everyone in. Only theatres in malls impose the rules properly,” he added.
The bureaucrat-turned politician said the censor markings should be followed correctly. Without naming Toxic, Annamalai, who left the BJP after the Tamil Nadu assembly elections earlier this year, said that a movie “released two-three days ago” shows that he could have “a wife and a mistress”.
“Some films have ruined the student community. You should follow the censor markings correctly. Even if a big star is acting, the CBFC should decide which scenes to allow and which not to allow. But some recent films certainly don’t give us joy. Because on one side, we scream until our throats are sore about women’s empowerment, rape cases, and atrocities against women,” he said.
“On the other side, a movie depicts a woman vulgarly, as a sex trophy. ‘I can have a wife and then a mistress,’ a film that was released 2-3 days ago shows. No matter what we say, cinema is a very powerful medium. It has started to show many wrong depictions,” he maintained.
‘Toxic’ review
According to an HT review, Toxic is filled to the brim with characters over its 3-hour-14-minute runtime, who come and go at brief intervals. Despite whatever Yash (who received a co-credit for the story, screenplay, and dialogues) and Geetu intend, the ‘big reveal’ comes a little too late and does far too little for it to work.
Most of the film is spent sacrificing any coherence at the altar of what’s supposed to be a powerful, sexy, and seemingly unbeatable character. Ever so often, guns, axes, knives and bombs are whipped out so Yash can hack into other men. After a point, one bloodbath rolls into another, and it’s hard to remember why exactly he’s fighting.
The review further says that there are exactly two characters in Toxic that make you feel anything for them remotely. Because underneath all the booze, drugs, violence, and general nonsense, Yash and Geetu want you to believe there’s a heart that beats. Ganga and Nadia make you empathise with them, but such moments are far too few in between. The main characters of this film, Raya and his estranged son Ticket (also Yash), have traumatic pasts that define them. But unfortunately, they are so unlikeable that it's hard to feel anything for them. The movie even generates laughs and is unintentionally funny in scenes that are supposed to tug at your heart.