What's objectionable in ‘Manushi', HC asks CBFC

CHENNAI: Questioning the rationale behind the Central Board for Film Certification (CBFC) keeping 'Manushi' movie on hold without specifying the objectionable parts required to be removed, the Madras High Court on Wednesday directed the board to submit its response to the petition filed by producer of the movie Vetrimaaran in a week.
Justice N Anand Venkatesh issued the direction while hearing the petition which prayed for a direction to the Regional Officer of the CBFC to constitute an expert committee to review the movie and intimate clearly on the portions required to be edited.
He recorded that the CBFC's denial of certification, as mentioned in the refusal order, was based on the reasons that the movie is against the integrity of the state, it is contemptuous of certain community, defames the policies of the government and also stereotypes people from certain places displaying the north-south divide.
The judge said the conclusion of the committee must have been arrived at based on 'objective and discernible' scenes of the movie, but those are not spelt out in the refusal order. Therefore, the board has to inform the producers about the objectionable portions so that they can be edited, he said in the order.
'The movie makers will be groping in the dark without knowing about which scenes and dialogues have to be edited,' Justice Anand Venkatesh remarked.
Observing that the movie is also a sort of freedom of expression, the judge, suggesting the board to watch the movie with the producers, said the board has to clearly spell out the scenes and dialogues that are objectionable so that the producers could modify or edit the particular scenes. He posted the matter to June 11 for passing orders.

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