Journalism of Courage
After the Indian Air Force,the Shahid Kapur-Sonam Kapoor film,Mausam,has now run into rough weather with the Railways. With its release already deferred by a week over a sequence showing the actor landing a fighter aircraft on fire,another sequence in which Kapur is shown zipping past in a car through a railway-level crossing just seconds before a train arrives has now got the Indian Railways angry.
The Railways Ministry has decided to register its protest with the makers of Mausam and is now planning to push for the insertion of a disclaimer in the film saying that the makers do not endorse anybody crossing unmanned level crossings with such carelessness and that it should not be attempted.
The Railways will send a communication in this regard to the films producers shortly.
With the number of accidents at unmanned level crossings continuing to rise with each passing year,the Railways believe that such sequences in mainstream cinema may actually encourage people to indulge in such bravado.
We would like the makers of the film to put in a word of caution or a disclaimer in the scene or the film which clarifies that such an action should not be indulged in, said Railway Ministrys executive director Information and Publicity Chandralekha Mukherjee.
Close to one-third of railway accidents and one-third of the total deaths involving the Indian Railways happen at unmanned level crossings.
