Now Congress’ turn

Filmmaking is becoming a hazardous enterprise in an increasingly intolerant India. Now, it’s the turn of Madhur Bhandarkar, director of Indu Sarkar, a film based on the Emergency, to face the mobs. The film with characters inspired by Indira Gandhi and her younger son Sanjay Gandhi is at the receiving end of the Censor Board. Congress leaders also seem to be acting as agents provocateur. Congress goons have harassed him; a Congress ‘representative’ has even announced prize money for any person who can blacken the filmmaker’s face. These are despicable acts. Asking the director to show them the film is an unreasonable demand. Bhandarkar, the director known for some gritty films such as Page 3, is well within his right not to pander to such ludicrous diktats.

Political activists who otherwise go breathless in their defence of artistic liberty suddenly turn hypersensitive when it comes to the portrayal of leaders of their own party. They need to understand that cinema depends on creative ambiguity for its artistic edge. Biopics need not tread the safe and staid path. As it is, most biopics end up as hagiographies rather than well-rounded insights. Indira Gandhi, like all political leaders, had her strengths and weaknesses. A sensible director would dwell on both and there is little reason to prejudge at this point that Bhandarkar has not done his homework or he has mala-fide intentions. He is right in his assertion that Indira Gandhi belongs to India and not to any political party. 

It is for audiences to decide a film’s fate and for critics to judge its cinematic quality. Mobs and political crowds have no locus standi. The practice of holding filmmakers to ransom prior to the release of their films must come to an end. Our political leaders ought to remember that what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander too and selective yardsticks can’t be applied to creative arts. Those who are gunning for Bhandarkar are doing a great disservice to Indira Gandhi, the Congress’ and India’s liberal traditions.