Smriti Irani cracks the whip on Censor Board

Following the sacking of the Board chief, Pahlaj Nihalani, I&B minister Smriti Irani to hold meeting with regional film bodies, revive recommendations of Shyam Benegal committee

Smriti Irani and Pahlaj Nihalani

Prasoon Joshi's appointment as the chief of the Central Board of Films Certification (CBFC) soon after the sacking of the infamous Pahlaj Nihalani, was the first step towards amending the notorious name acquired by the Board owing to its high-handedness. However, Information & Broadcasting minister Smriti Irani is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the body doesn't falter in abiding by its duties henceforth, and is considering restructuring the Board.

In what was considered a sign of no confidence in Nihalani while he was in office, the Ministry had constituted a committee in 2016, headed by filmmaker Shyam Benegal, to suggest corrective measures and help Board members understand the nuances of film certification. However, the Board was later criticised for failing to pay heed to the committee's suggestions. After the induction of the new members in the CBFC, Irani, we hear, wishes to turn attention towards the Benegal committee's suggestions.

A source tells mid-day, "The two-part report was elaborate and detailed every folly of the system. The Ministry has scheduled a meeting with Benegal and his team on Monday. They will discuss the viability of the recommendations, and how the findings can translate into actionable goals."

With the CBFC being constantly pulled up for focusing on censorship instead of certification, Smriti Irani hopes to address the guidelines on which a film is certified, and the rating system, in the scheduled meeting, the source informs. "State Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore has been keenly following every development associated with the CBFC, and, along with Irani, wants to introduce the amended bill to make radical changes in The Cinematograph Act at the earliest."

As was speculated during her appointment to the post, Irani's familiarity with the way the industry works, owing to her previous stint as an actor, is benefiting the ministry. We hear she is also set to hold a meeting with the local governing bodies, which work under the Censor Board to certify films within their jurisdiction, to iron out discrepancies in the systems.

Citing that Nihalani often interfered with the functioning of these individual bodies, a source says, "The local bodies are being bullied by the CBFC. After the Ka Bodyscapes case [where Nihalani chose to certify the Malayalam film himself] it became evident that the local bodies are pressured by the Board's affiliations. Irani intends to make the local bodies independent."

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