By Surendra Bhatia
The CBFC is always a hurdle Bollywood looks upon with much apprehension but as a dread that has to be dealt with. At one point in the recent past, the presence of the venerable Pahlaj Nihalani at the head of the CBFC made certification of a film seem like an obstacle race, and dependent not as much on the film as on which side of his bed the honourable chairman had got off that morning. It was expected that things would change when the modern – poet and writer too – Prasoon Joshi took over. But, as life teaches us, the more things change, the more they remain the same.
But there are still small things, and small mercies. In its wisdom, the CBFC had decreed that a certified film that was subtitled, had to be resubmitted for certification. This, in fact, meant that the obstacle course had to be run all over again. It probably was business as usual till the IMPPA decided to challenge it. It went to court. It couldn’t have been easy and it must have taken quite a few months since courts do not have much time to spare but finally the IMPPA got to put its points across to the judicial authority. Why, it asked, should a certified film undergo recertification just because subtitles had been added? The CBFC, naturally, defended its decision to re-certify because that, it must be said, is bread and butter for it. The court, fortunately, decided to make life a bit simpler for producers. It decreed that once the film has been certified, and subtitles are subsequently added, the producer simply needs to submit a CD with the subtitled film and get the certificate endorsed. That’s it. Done.
It may seem a small thing for the court but it is a huge step for Bollywood producers. Can you imagine submitting a film for re-certification for subtitles, and some not-so-worthy gentleman on the CBFC panel decides, he doesn’t like the one particular visual or shot in context of the subtitled version, and raises a stink. This is not unheard of in the annals of the CBFC. Stranger things, in fact, have been said and done. Essentially, that revered seat on the panel puts the person as the arbitrator of the nation’s morality and he/she can easily get carried away with the power. One doesn’t need to look too far back — the Nihalani era in the CBFC shows it all.
But the courts, thankfully, have looked upon this issue as complementary rather than having to reinvent the wheel. Since the film has already been certified, let the CBFC just read the subtitles and satisfy itself enough to endorse it. Producers must have heaved a sigh of relief.
Why does the CBFC make life complicated and where does it have the time to deal with all these issues? It would be natural to think that the CBFC would have come up with the solution on its own. After all, it’s convenient and time-saving. But things do not work in that fashion in the CBFC, obviously. Even to make its own life simpler, it needs the court to pass a judgement on it. And to think, we ask them to certify films to safeguard the nation’s vulnerable minds. God help us.
