The national level row, between the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and the film-makers, over movie Udta Punjab is also gaining intensity in Punjab too with the SAD-BJP led State Government coming out in open, for the first time, to clear the big picture.
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his deputy son Sukhbir Badal on Thursday categorically maintained that their Government has “nothing to do” with the clipping of wings of the multi-starrer flick depicting drug problem in Punjab.
The CBFC had raised objections with the movie and have suggested 89 cuts besides demanding doing away with the references to Punjab, including the name. Claiming that it has given the film an A-Certificate, the Board has asked for the deletion of the signboard of Punjab at the beginning of the film, besides removal of all visuals and dialogue references to Punjab, Jalandhar, Chandigarh, Amritsar, Taran Taran, Jashanpur, Ambesar and Moga.
According to the Censor Board, the words ‘election’, ‘MP’ and ‘MlA’ should also be removed along with the close-up shots of drugs being injected. The board also want the dog in the film to be renamed.
CBFC chairman Pahlaj Nihalani had also raised another controversy after alleging that he had heard that the film was funded by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
‘PUNJAB GOVT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT’
Going defensive over the objections raised by the CBFC on Udta Punjab, Badal said: “How the State Government could be held responsible for it when the CBFC is exclusively under the control of the Government of IndiaIJ”
“For us, the film in question is one of the countless such films produced for commercial reasons in the country. Whether to allow its release or not is an issue between the producers and the CBFC. The government has nothing to do with it,” said the state Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal.
Also the Shiromani Akali Dal president, Sukhbir said: “It is for the censors to see whether the film meets or violates the fundamental principles of balance between freedom of expression on one hand, and deliberately or inadvertently blackening the face of a State, a community or a faith on the other.”
Maintaining that he would not pre-judge the issue before the film’s release, Sukhbir said: “We are in favour of anything that lends social, psychological or thematic support to our all-out war against drugs.”
“For all I know, the film in question may even be an attempt to correct the distorted picture of Punjab as drug haven painted by some opportunistic non-Punjabi persons, political parties and leaders who are using abusive language against the bravest and the most competent and patriotic people of Punjab,” he said, adding that in that case, “we will welcome the movie and even support it and similar films aimed at image correction of Punjabis”.
Sukhbir added that it was absurd even to suggest a governmental intervention at this stage. “Neither the Chief Minister nor I nor anyone else at political or administrative level in the Government or the party has seen the film so far. So how can we take a call on whether or not the film would affect the peaceful atmosphere in the state by hurting the sentiments of Punjabis through a vulgar and humiliating presentation of the present day Punjab and Punjabis,” he said.
Asking the opponents to stop spreading canards about a government ban on the release of a film which allegedly, categorically and specifically describes Punjabis as “kanjar” and its land as “banjar”, Sukhbir rubbished the propaganda against Punjab as land of terrorists and druggies saying that those who indulge in this propaganda need to educate themselves.
“Punjabis are leading the rest of the country in every sphere, occupying top positions in various fields. Punjabis dominate social and political life all across the world. Naturally, they react strongly against any demonization of their character, such as by calling them terrorists, rapists , druggies etc,” he said.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), 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.
Radical Sikh organisation Dal Khalsa has also slammed the Censor Board for its objections to Udta Punjab. “The film was about rising drug problem that Punjab was facing...It's a harsh reality,” said its leader Kanwar Pal Singh while blaming the Akalis and the BJP for the controversy.
The opposition in Punjab has all along been targeting the SAD, which has been in power in Punjab since 2007 in alliance with the BJP, for patronising the multi-million dollar drugs mafia in the state.
AAP leaders Sanjay Singh and Bhagwant Mann have openly accused the state Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia, the younger brother of union Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal and brother-in-law of Sukhbir Badal, for promoting those behind the drugs racket in Punjab.
Though Majithia has filed defamation cases against them in courts in ludhiana and Amritsar, they are repeating the accusations almost daily and are even taunting Majithia to get them arrested.
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.