Clean Chit To Messenger Of God? Appropriate Time To Resign!

Buzz is,  CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification) chairperson's decision to step down is expected to trigger a slew of resignations from the Board over the weekend. Already, one member, Ira Bhasker, is rumoured to have stepped down. The decision has come soon after the film Messenger of God (MSG) was cleared by the Tribunal in two days after it was rejected by the Examining Committee and Revising Committee earlier this week.

SpotboyE.com got in touch with Samson. Excerpts from the conversation that followed:

Why did you put in your papers?
I reached a point of exhaustion and disillusionment with the system.

What are your concerns in the CBFC?
One, a lack of regard for the Board by the Ministry that set it up. Two, the appointment of panel members who certify the films by the Ministry.

What's wrong with those members?
They are not necessarily equipped to do the job which they have been assigned.

But aren't some filmmakers pushing the envelope too far in the name of democracy and modernisation?
There are some bad films out there, no doubt.

Have some celebrities become too big and use their political clout to get the CBFC decisions changed in their favour? 
No. 

Let's talk about the political interference then. Has it been in films from the beginning?
No, only from time to time due to complaints from particular communities/religious groups and/or individuals.

Has the political interference increased with time? 
Not particularly, but there is that much I can take and no more.

Go on...
Problems happened during Aarakshan, Vishwaroopam and other movies as well. It's not just about Messenger of God. It's about those who certify the films. There is a fundamentalist wave that influences the outcome of films. And it's not just now (Read BJP), it existed during the previous Ministry (Read: Congress) as well. How do we function?  Do we go by the Cinematograph Act or do we listen to them? I object that we are not allowed to do our job.

  

Was the Tribunal's decision to clear Messenger of God the flashpoint?
Just an appropriate time.

What exactly happened when this film was screened for censorship?
Our refusal was unanimous at both viewings- Examining Committee and Revising Committee.

Can we say that you have been in a turmoil since a year?
Over a year. There is virtually no CBFC board. Members have been allowed to go and vacancies have not been filled.

Would you say that the CBFC is doing a thankless job?
In some ways, yes.

Do you think that the government is neglecting cinema?
Maybe they consider it too important.

Where do you go from here?
Thankfully, I am a dancer. That stays intact.

What they say



Nandini Sardesai (CBFC, Revising Committee Member): I called up Samson in the morning. I think she has taken the right decision. MSG was the last straw on her back. Our (CBFC) credibility is under attack. I was in Goa when the MSG controversy broke out. I had my lectures on that day, but I was told that I shouldn't delay the Revising Committee screening by even a day. And then came the shocker! 

Normally it takes a month for the Tribunal to see the film after the Revising Committee has rejected it, but MSG got the Tribunal's attention in only 24 hours. Imagine! And do you know that only two people saw the film at the Tribunal table? Even Aarakshan which had an Amitabh Bachchan and a Prakash Jha had to wait for a month. 

Isn't it clear that the Tribunal screening was a formality and it had already been decided that MSG has to be passed? Two people at the Tribunal override 13 people who didn't want the film to see the light of day. It's a very sad scenario. Wait and watch, now every godman will start making a film for his personal propaganda. 



Sanjay Gupta (Filmmaker): I would say that the CBFC should have evolved with time. They just stick to the book. Besides, we all know the Rakesh Kumar episode (In August 2014, CBI arrested CBFC CEO Rakesh Kumar in an alleged bribery case). Tell me, was he the first and last of such kind?