Acclaimed filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan strongly supported the Government’s move to appoint a committee under the chairmanship of noted filmmaker Shyam Benegal to look into the affairs of CBFC and expressed confidence that the committee would do right things to change the perception. Speaking exclusively to The Pioneer on the sidelines of the ongoing eighth edition of Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFFes) he said, “dissent should not be taken as enemy’s comment.”
He said, “The Government has appointed a committee with Shyam Bengagal as Chairman. The committee is sitting and I expect good decisions from them. Shyam has already said that it is not Censor Board. It is only certification board. That defines the attitude to the whole thing”.
looking at the ongoing crisis at the Censor Board Adoor said it was not deliberate but out of ignorance. “I don’t think it is deliberate. It is mostly ignorance. Ideally I am against any kind of censorship. Cinema should not be censored. Opinion of the people should not be censored. We are not living in a censorship era. Who is to censor whatIJ Who has been authorised to censor anything that matters. If it is a military Government I can understand censor and all. It is a democratically elected Government”.
“We live in a democracy. Democracy underlines that it means dialogue. Dialogue does not necessarily means it is only an endorsement. It can be a different opinion. You can learn from that. We don’t think about infallible Government policy about everything. It is wrong attitude. Governments can’t act like Maharajas. It is good sign they have appointed a committee and I am very sure they will make decent sensible decisions under the chairmanship of Shyam Benegal. I am very hopeful about that”, he added.
On award wapsi, noted filmmaker said it was a form of protest and Government should not take this as enemy’s comment. “Those people who want to give back the awards it is a sign of protest. It is very genuine protest. It should not be interpreted as opposition to Government. It is wrong way of interpretation. Any dissent should not be taken as an enemy’s comment. It can be friends comment also. People don’t bother about political parties. All that what citizen wants is good governance”, he remarked.
Another acclaimed director Maniratnam said Censor Board functions according to the Government which is in rule. He said that many films get stuck by politicians getting involved. He said that new rules have to be framed by CBFC and function according to them.