Censors snipe at obscene film ads

MUMBAI, May 28: The Censor Board has objected to “vulgar and obscene advertisements” of certain films appearing in trade magazines and asked the Publicity Screening Committee of Films for an explanation. The examples cited are those of films like The Naked Truth, Maut, Murdaa and Divine Lovers II.The censors’ rebuff has pressed the panic button in the film industry, which fears it could lose the right of self-censorship of film posters and publicity material. A Bollywood spokesman, preferring anonymity, said it was not so much a question of whether the Board had the authority to object to pre-release publicity, as that of the Board’s usurpation of the right to censor publicity material.

At a meeting between industry representatives and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in February 1990, it was decided that no censor certificate would be issued to any film if the clearance certificate isn’t obtained from the local Film Publicity Screening Committee (FPSC). This decision was taken on the basis ofseveral complaints received by the government from social welfare bodies regarding obscene cinema posters and other publicity material.Though the FPSC has, over the years, successfully curbed vulgar publicity displays in the form of posters, the trade magazines have lately been carrying obscene advertisements of some films.

Meanwhile, the Association of Motion Pictures and Television Programme Producers has apologised for the lapses on the part of some of its members and assured the CBFC chairman that these advertisements might have appeared on the assumption that they were of a pre-release nature and not meant for putting on posters or publicity materials.It has also asked the trade magazines to restrain themselves from publishing such obscene advertisements in future, because they tarnish the image of the industry. The trade magazines should either scrutinise the designs or take the approval of the Publicity Screening Committee or the Film Makers Combine before carrying such advertisements, it has said.