It's time for I&B ministry to help film fraternity: Vishal Bhardwaj

Vishal Bhardwaj

Reacting to the arrest of Central Board of Film Certification's (CBFC) CEO Rakesh Kumar in an alleged bribery case, filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj says it is high time that Information & Broadcasting Ministry should come forward and aggressively help film fraternity on various matters.

Vishal Bhardwaj

"I have read about it (arrest of CBFC CEO) in newspapers. I think I&B ministry should step in aggressively, it is not just the issue of censor, but other things as well. We have been promised for eight years about forming the category (of films) from 12 plus, 15 plus, 18 plus children but it has not happened yet. We filmmakers are suffering," Bhardwaj told reporters here yesterday at an event.

"There are films that are for 12 plus or 15 plus children so if this category is created it will help us... If you have some adult content in the film ,there is pressure from corporate house and producers to make sure that there is no satellite issue. So, we work under lot of constraints.

We entertain people and the ministry should look at our problems. I think I&B ministry should come forward and aggressively help us," he said. The CBFC is a statutory body under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to regulate public exhibition of films under the provisions of The Cinematograph Act 1952.

Bhardwaj shares similar sentiment as CBFC Chairperson Leela Samson that, "the transparent method of certifying films is computerisation of applications." Bhardwaj was talking at the music launch of his upcoming film 'Haider'. "First time there will be ten songs in the film which are of different genres of music and we are excited about it," he said.

Film's leading actor Shahid Kapoor, who is a trained dancer, found it challenging doing one of the songs 'Bismil', for the film. "It was essential that Haider doesn't dance like Shahid. Haider should have his own body language and style.

Sudesh (a choreographer) did the choreography which is different... His choreography is more performance driven," Shahid said. "This song comes when Haider is emotionally upset, so doing steps was not that important but it was to bring angst through choreography. It was amazing and challenging to do this song and it is one of the best songs of my career. More than song it is a story," he said.

Both Tabu and Shraddha Kapoor, who will be seen playing crucial roles in Bhardwaj's 'Haider', will be crooning a traditional Kashmiri song 'Roshe valle'. "She (Shraddha) is good at singing. She has sung a Kashmiri folk song in the film.

The song will move emotionally," Bhardwaj said. "We are very excited about the music launch of our film 'Haider'. It is an exciting album," Shraddha said. 'Haider' is an adaptation of William Shakespeare's Hamlet, and is set in Kashmir. The film is scheduled to be released on October 2.