NEW DELHI: Information and broadcasting minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday said movie certification norms have to be liberal and “some very radical changes” will be announced over the next few days.
In his first comments on the row sparked by cuts sought by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) on Udta Punjab, a film that portrays the problem of drug addiction in the state, Jaitley said, “I won’t say it’s overboard. I don’t know this case because I have not seen the film in question.”
Saying he was “not satisfied” with the existing system of film certification, he said there are some changes that are about to be made.
“There is a well-documented report by Shyam Benegal, the first part which has come to me which is under consideration. Over the next few days we are going to announce some very radical changes in that,” he said.
“You will probably have a system where you will have to have a certificate. The correct word is certification and not censorship. Certification norms will have to be liberal,” he said, speaking at the Indian of the Year Awards by CNN TV18 Group.
On the row regarding the film, Jaitley said, “I think we are overstating it because at the end of the day, you have a board which takes a view which may be a little conservative but then at the appeal tribunal, with an appeal, it can get disposed off. My experience has been almost everything gets cleared.”
{{/usCountry}}On the row regarding the film, Jaitley said, “I think we are overstating it because at the end of the day, you have a board which takes a view which may be a little conservative but then at the appeal tribunal, with an appeal, it can get disposed off. My experience has been almost everything gets cleared.”
{{/usCountry}}Trying to play down the controversy, he said there are people in the system whose attitude may be little more conservative. “But then there are internal checks and balances,” he added.