Sense, Censor Board and sensibility

LET me be honest that other than the fact that I felt proud that a handsome and talented young man from Punjab Diljit Dosanjh was going to make his Bollywood debut through Udta Punjab, I per se have no knowledge about the movie. To put it differently, my knowledge about cinema is rather sparse. Now I may not have opinions about movies, but I do have strong opinions about freedom of expression and the need to ensure liberty of creative licence for all artists. There is something very disturbing about someone sitting in position of power and determining what is suitable or appropriate to be viewed or read by the people. 

In 18th-century England, a man called Thomas Bowdler, was offended by works of none other than William Shakespeare. Much like our Chairman of the Censor Board, Mr Bowdler, came out with an expurgated version of Shakespeare's work.  Mr Bowdler's "revised edition" hardly dented the Bard's reputation of being one of the greatest literary geniuses ever, but it earned Bowlder the perpetual notoriety and today the word "Bowlderise" means senseless censorship. 

I have always felt that problems and issues of Punjab are rarely portrayed correctly in Hindi cinema. All we tend to see, is the cliched description of Punjab where people make merry and dance giddhas, bhangras guzzling liquor and lassi all the time. No one has made any serious effort to project the problems of our land. Therefore, it was heartening that in the recent past two movies, both with popular stars, at least sought to project issues that concern our state. Through Sarbjit the challenges faced by the youth in our state's border villages, were highlighted and now Udta Punjab aspires to depict the rot of the drug problem in our state. One could argue, whether these movies are well made or not, but sometimes, the very fact that movies with big stars, bring into focus an issue that has been not been talked about as much as it should have been. Under such circumstances it was creditable that a mainstream Bollywood movie was made on the drug issue in Punjab. 

It is, therefore, rather surprising, that our politicians view this as an affront to Punjab. Recently, a movie in Hollywood called Spotlight highlighted the extent of child exploitation by some Roman Catholic priests in Boston. Was it dismissed as being derogatory to the entire faith? No, on the contrary the movie was highly acclaimed and went on the win many Oscars. It did not tarnish an entire institution, however, it talked about a very important issue. When the great Raj Kapoor made a movie (Prem Rog) on the plight of widows and the rot of casteism in our society or the legendary Bimal Roy depicted the struggles of a landless farmer in Do Bigha Zameen, they were not being derogatory to Indian society, but they were showing existing problems that deserved to be told. 

By the same token, compelling problems in Punjab's society and there is none bigger than the drug menace in our state. A confident society, is not ashamed of its problems. It is brave to face them and reform itself.

 Moreover, if the people of Punjab feel that the movie doesn't do justice to the state, or is not well made, then let them see it and decide. If it is a bad movie, people will turn it down and it will not succeed at the box office. But that should be the prerogative of the people and not of one individual who happens to lead the Censor Board, and whose own films, I am told, were littered with inane themes and songs filled with double entendere. 

Finally, to say that the movie has been motivated by a political agenda to undermine the existing government, just a year before the elections is stretching it a bit too far. In a way it shows the mindset of the Punjab government. It thinks that the people of Punjab are so foolish, that merely by looking at a movie they will become aware of a problem and vote against them. 

Let me honestly and humbly tell it to the powers in establishments — Respected Sirs, the people of Punjab are facing this problem of drugs for the last several decades. They are living with it, they are seeing their young men being destroyed by this. They don't need a movie to tell them what is wrong or who is involved. But yes, if a mainstream movie is made on their concerns, they feel assured that their problems are talked about and in popular cultural depictions their society is not reduced to a mere cliche.

The writer is a senior Punjab Congress leader