Tibetans, Censor spar over Rockstar

Four days before the Ranbir Kapoor starrer ‘Rockstar’ hits theatres, the censor board’s directive to blur a scene in the film showing Tibetan flags has irked Tibetans in the city.

Four days before the Ranbir Kapoor starrer ‘Rockstar’ hits theatres, the censor board’s directive to blur a scene in the film showing Tibetan flags has irked Tibetans in the city.

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The Central Board of Film Certification has issued a directive to filmmaker Imtiaz Ali, to remove the sequence in the film where the Tibetan national flag is visible and to blur the ‘Free Tibet’ banners. “There is a portion in the film where Tibet has been written. It has been blurred now. There are no cuts in the film and it has got U/A certificate from the censor board,” said a spokesperson of the film. The film is scheduled to release on Friday.

However, Tibetan organisations in the city termed the move an attempt to please the Chinese government. They sent a letter to the censor board on Monday seeking reversal of the decision. “We see no logic in preventing the filmmaker from discussing Tibet or displaying the flag, when the Indian government has given asylum to lakhs of Tibetans in this country and has allowed the Tibetan government-in-exile to function from Indian soil,” said Rohit Singh, campaign coordinator, Friends of Tibet.

“If the board does not alter its decision, we’ll protest outside its office on Wednesday,” he added.

Activists from Students for a Free Tibet, a non-profit group, are also planning to stage a rally in several cities.

“It is extremely disturbing that such a grave violation of free speech is occurring in the world's largest democracy,” said Dorjee Tseten, National Director of Students for a Free Tibet India.