quot;Cutsquot; No Ice

Films, it seems, are exercising Police Commissioner Ronnie Mendonca8217;s mind considerably these days. He sees a direct connection between blood-and-gore routines on screen and the spiralling crime charts in the city. So convinced is he about films8217; rather volatile effect on public that he has requested the Censor Board to refer films depicting 8220;excessive violence8221; to his department for clearance. While the move is sure to lead to an uproar in Bollywood, it also raises some fundamental questions about censorship and its scope. For instance, who decides what constitutes excessive violence? Producers, directors, Censor Board officials, audience all have their own views on what is fit to be shown in public. In fact, what is raw violence for some 8211; as has been proved by the recent crop of both Bollywood and Hollywood hits 8211; is pure entertainment for millions of others.

How then in such a scenario, police officials with no apparent expertise in the area of arts, can be allowed to judge what is fit for viewingfor everyone. This is not to say that films should be freed of censorship. We need a certain quality control, but the responsibility is best left to the Censor Board.

Mendonca8217;s other concern that the force is quite often shown in a bad light in films is understandable. But that8217;s no reason to seek such a radical change in censorship procedures. For, several movies come to mind where teachers, doctors and other professionals have been lampooned. If they were all allowed to have their say in Censor Board8217;s decisions, releasing films would become an exercise in building a national consensus. Films sure have built a bad image of cops in public minds. But the reality is not very different. And to stem the rot the cops would be well advised to closely watch their own actions than of those on the screen.