Mumbai: The Mumbai High Court, which is hearing a petition by the producers over the Central Board of Film Certification’s (CBFC) directions to make 13 cuts which effectively amount to 89 in the entire film, called the controversy “obnoxious”.
“There shouldn’t be a hue and cry over mature people wanting to see some realistic movies. We should avoid this as responsible people. Present generation wants something more mature. But you say no.”
The Court was perplexed and seemed incensed about a number of things. Here are the questions they asked the CBFC about.
1. Explain CBFC’s insistence for deleting “Punjab” signboard in the drug-themed film. What is the logical reasoning? Is it provocative and are you suggesting they are offensive?
2. How will the use of the words ‘Punjab’ ‘Elections’ etc. adversely affect the sovereignty and integrity of the nation?
3. If Goa can be shown as a place of drug abuse in that film, what is wrong if Punjab is shown in Udta Punjab?
4. The title of the film has Punjab. It depicts a story of the state and the people. For one visual, you cannot delete an entire scene… It is a duty…to expose the problem.
5. It is not that nobody has made a reference to this in the past and that the drug menace has not been a subject matter of any celluloid film.
6. Removing words such as election, MLA and MP did not make sense. “In our times, there were names with these words in it like Aaj Ka MLA Ram Avatar.”
7. Explain the deletion of names of eight cities including Chandigarh, Tarn Taran and Amritsar, and the state’s name – Punjab – anywhere in the film and words like “Parliament”.
The questions put to the CBFC seemed to indicate that the Court was leaning in favor of uncensored artistic expression expected by mature audiences. The decision is expected on Monday.
The film has already created enough controversy to give a real high when it actually opens in the theaters and promises to be a big hit not only in Punjab, but throughout the country, cuts or no cuts. Whether it will help reduce the drug problem in the state, would however depend on what the government of Punjab, does about the problem. For the present it seems to be targeting the film through its political ally at the center rather than the problem, in a case of shoot the messenger.
As the hearing continues, the Bombay High Court continues to assert that “Punjab is an integral part of the concept and cannot be deleted from the film.”
Punjab moves swiftly to contain Udta Punjab fallout
Meanwhile the Punjab government has initiated plans to counter what it calls the ‘negative’ image of Punjab and its government that the film Udta Punjab is likely to create once it is released. It has quietly launched ‘Ubharda Punjab’ (Rising Punjab).
Through this programme, the government plans to “develop partnership with the masses to eradicate drug addiction”
Bhatinda saw the first pilot of the programme begin on May 14th. It is the constituency of chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and will be implemented in the rest of the state later. The programme is based on interaction with with affected families by (police) officers and their teams, which includes one elected representative, two retired government employees and one motivated from religious institutions or youth clubs. Medical Professionals including Psychiatrists, Counsellors and Doctors are however missing in the panel.
The state will issue identity cards to the “stakeholders” and even have a reward system to market the scheme. Punjab health minister Surjit Jyani had recently told the state assembly that 22 drug rehabilitation centres at a cost of Rs 61.89 crore were sanctioned last year. Another Rs 27.05 crore has been sanctioned for detoxification centres.
A report by AIIMS on opioid dependence in Punjab had said in January that it will take 10 years for the state to provide even a single episode of treatment to all addicts. It had given the total number of opioid dependent people in the state as 2.32 lakh.
Ubharda Punjab, on the other hand, aims to target 303 villages, 161 urban bodies, 214 higher secondary schools and 47 educational institutions. The programme divides drug addicts into three categories – chronic abusers, periodic abusers, and “abusers for fun”.
