The imbroglio over the film Udta Punjab is gaining ground in Punjab too with State Congress president Captain Amarinder Singh threatening to release the “uncensored” copies of the movie in Majitha and the SAD-BJP-led State Government coming out in the open to clear the air on the issue on Thursday.
Commenting for the first time on the flaming row between the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and the makers of Udta Punjab, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his deputy Sukhbir Badal categorically maintained that their Government had “nothing to do” with the clipping of the wings of the multi-starrer flick depicting the drug menace in Punjab.
On the other hand, taking the controversy to another level, Amarinder Singh declared he would release the uncut copies of the movie in Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia”s Assembly segment, Majitha, on June 17, the scheduled release date of the controversial movie.
“Since Majitha, like Mexico, is the epicentre of the drug trade in Punjab, it is decided to release the movie there,” he said.
The former Chief Minister has written to the producers of the movie, Anurag Kashyap and Ekta Kapoor, urging them to provide him the uncensored CDs of the film so that he can release it on the scheduled date to coincide with the worldwide premier of the movie.
“The purpose of releasing the movie in Majitha is to tell the Akalis and the BJP that no matter what extent they try to go to gag the truth, it will be exposed at any cost,” he said.
“Not only do we want to highlight the harsh reality of Punjab, but also assert the right to freedom of speech and expression guaranteed by our Constitution which is being infringed upon by the BJP at the behest of the Akalis, using the Censor Board,” said Capt Amarinder, in his letter to the producers.
Capt Amarinder also clarified to the producers that all the legal onus of releasing the uncensored CDs of the movie will be on him only as he wanted the “truth to be told no matter at what price”.
He also clarified to the producers that in order to ensure that their commercial interests were not hurt, the movie will be shown only on the day of release at Majitha, as a protest and defiance against the dictatorial attitude of the Censor Board, and also in border areas as people there rarely get a chance to watch the movies in theatres.
The Congress leader had already accused Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who also heads the Information and Broadcasting Ministry (which controls CBFC) of “being a party to this authoritarian decision” though the movie depicts the “harsh reality of Punjab”.
Incidentally, Aam Aadmi Party, which has emerged as a major player in Punjab, too had maintained that the Akali Dal and BJP are to blame for the problems Udta Punjab is facing.
AAP leaders Sanjay Singh and Bhagwant Mann have openly accused Bikram Majithia, the younger brother of Union Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal and brother-in-law of Sukhbir Badal, of promoting those behind the drugs racket in Punjab.
Akali Dal leaders said that the party leadership was “feeling uncomfortable” with the way the drugs abuse of Punjab was being projected and this could harm the party in Assembly polls next year.
Radical Sikh organisation Dal Khalsa has also slammed the Censor Board for its objections to Udta Punjab. “The film was about the rising drug problem that Punjab is facing...It”s a harsh reality,” said its leader Kanwar Pal Singh while blaming the Akalis and the BJP for the controversy.