What do you mean by term Censorship? Explain the Significance of Censorship in films?

Name: Bhatt Urvi P.

Role No. : 31

Std: M.A-2 (Sem-4)

Paper no. : 15

Paper Name: Mass Media

Topic name: What do you mean by term Censorship? Explain the significance of Censorship in Films.

Submitted to: S. B. Gardi Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University

Gmail ID: bhatt.urvi22@gmail.com

Q- What do you mean by term Censorship? Explain the significance of Censorship in Films.

Ans.:

“Adam was but human- this explains it all. He did not want the apple for the apple’s sake; he wanted it only because it was forbidden. The mistake is not forbidding the serpent, then he would have eaten the serpent.”       - Mark Twain

f       History of Film:

The history of film began in the 1890s, with the invention of the first motion- picture cameras and the establishment of first film production companies and cinemas. The first film of the 1890s were under a minute long and until 1927, motion pictures were produced without sound. The first rotation camera was introduced in 1897. Then came the first film studio in the same year. Close-up shots were introduced in 1900. The first use of animation in movies was in 1899. The feature length multi-reel film was a 1906 Australia production. The first successful permanent theatre showing only film was “The Nickelodeon” in Pittsburgh in 1905. From about 1910, American films had the largest share of the market in all European countries except France.

            As film grew longer, specialist writers were employed to simplify more complex stories derived from novels. Genres began to be used as categories, were further subdivided. By 1914, continuity cinema was the established mode of commercial cinema. During the 1960s, the studio system in Hollywood declined. Graphic images of bloody death and gunfights were first seen in 1970s. During the 1980s VCR s came. The early 1990s saw the development of a commercially successful independent cinema in the United States.

f       Beginning of Indian Cinema:

The cinema of India consists of films produced across India, which includes the cinematic cultures of Indian states. Cinema as a medium gained popularity in the country and as many as 1000 films in various languages of India are produced annually.

  Expatriates in countries such as the UK and the US garnered international audiences for Indian films of various languages. Dadasaheb Phalke is the father of Indian cinema. Dadasaheb Phalke Award, for life time contribution to cinema, was instituted in his honor, by the Government of India in 1969, and is the most prestigious and coveted award in Indian cinema.

       In the 10^th century, Indian cinema along with the Hollywood and Chinese film industries became global enterprise. India ranks first the terms of annual film output. Indian film industry reached overall Rs 93 billion in revenues and it is projected to rise to 150 billion in 2016. Indian cinema found markets in over 90 countries where films from India are screened.

            Following the screening of Lumiere moving pictures in London (1895) cinema became a sensation across Europe and by July 1896 the Lumiere films had been in show in Bombay. The first Indian film released in India was “Shree Pundalik” a silent film in Marathi by Dadasaheb Tarne on 18 May 1912 at “Coronation Cinematograph” Mumbai.

            The full- length motion picture in India was produced by Dadasaheb Phalke. He was the scholar on Indian languages and culture. He brought together elements from Sanskrit epics  to produce his “Raja Harish Chandra”  (1913). It was played by male actors. The film marked a historic benchmark in the film industry in India. During the early twentieth century cinema as a medium gained popularity across India’s population and its many economic sections.

f       What is a Film?

 

       The central board of film certification, the regulatory film body of India regularly orders directors to remove anything it deems offensive including sex, nudity, violence or subjects considered politically subversive. According to Supreme court of India:

 

  

                                    In 2002, the film war and peace depicting scenes of nuclear testing and the September 11, 2001 attacks, created by Anand Patwardhan was asked to cut but the count decreed the cuts unconstitutional and the film was shown uncut.

                                  In 2006, seven states of India have banned the release or exhibition of the Hollywood movie. The Da Vinci Code including the text. However, high courts later on lifted the ban and the movie was shown later on in two states.

f      
Define Censorship:

Ø “Censorship reflects a society’s lack of confidence in itself.”     -Potter Stewart

Ø “Without censorship, things can get terribly confused in the public mind.”                                    -William Westmoreland      

Ø “Censorship is to art as lynching is to justice.”  -Henry Louis Gates        

                

Ø “Censorship always defeats it own purpose, for it creates in the end the kind of society that is incapable of exercising real discretion.”                                                                                  -Henry Steele Commager

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f       Film Censorship: A brief history:

                   Film Censorship was set in motion in India when the Cinematograph Act of 1918 was made law from May 1920. It allowed the exhibition of films only after they had been certified as suitable for public exhibition.

                          Censor Boards were set up in Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, Rangoon and Lahore. All members of the Borders were appointed by the Government. The consisted of the Commissioner of Police, the Collector of Customs, a member of the Indian Educational Services, and three prominent citizens representing the Hindu, Muslim and other communities.

                          There were primarily concerned with obscenity, the wounding of religious sentiments, or inciting disaffection against the Government. Under the Act, the control was made more rigid and effective countrywide. Amendments to the Act of 1918 in later years made film censorship a function of the Provincial Governments.

                             In October 1927 an Indian Cinematograph Committee was appointed with an Indian, T. Rangachariar, as Chairman. It observed in its Report submitted two years later that censorship is certainly necessary in India, and is the only effective method of preventing the import, production and public exhibition of films which might demoralize morals, hurt religious susceptibilities or excite communal or racial animosities.

                           The Cinematograph Act of 1952 continued the British tradition of severe censorship of films that made any references to the political situation or to communal groups. In 1969, the Khosla Commission was appointed to report on the whole film industry. It recommended an autonomous Censor Board without any official government control the examination of a film as a whole and to allow kissing, nudity and violence, if they were integral to the theme. The Government reluctantly accepted the Report, and in 1974 a Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha. The whims of the I and B Ministry decided which films should be given ‘A’ of ‘U’ Certificates. Political satires like Kissa Kursi Ka were banned.

                            The Janata regime, appointed a Working Group on National Film Policy. The Working Group’s Report has criticized the rigid approach of the film censors against the exposure of corruption in the police and the Government’s political leadership.

f       Rationale of Censorship:

                           All citizens, says Article 19(1) and (2) of the Constitution, shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression.

 

                                                      K. A. Abbas challenged the censorship of films in general and pre- censorship in particular in the Supreme Court in November 1969. In its verdict delivered on September 24, 1970, the Supreme- Court said that ‘censorship in India’ has full justification in the field of exhibition of films.

f       The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC):

                       The Central Board of Film Censors is set up by the Central Government under the powers granted it by the Cinematograph Act and the Cinematograph Rules 1958. The Board is headed by a chairman, appointed by the Central Government and is assisted to 12- 35 members.

f       Advisory Panels:

                 Advisory Panels are constituted at each regional office by the Central Government which also decides, in consultation with the CBFC, the number of panel members for each office. The members are appointed by the Central Government in consultation with the CBFC.

f       How Films are Censored:

                    The examining committee consists of a member from the Advisory Panel and an examining officer in the case of short film, while in the case of a feature film four members from the Advisory Panel and an examining offer. This film to be examined must be complete in every sense, with the background music and all sound effects duly recorded on the film itself.

                   Under the Amendment Act, 1983, all previews of films for the purpose of certification and the reports and record related to it, will be treated as confidential. The names of members of the Examining Committee will not be disclosed to any other person including the application or his representative. The applicant or his representative will not be allowed to be present inside the preview theatre.

                       If for any reason, the members of committees felt that any particular portion for film has to be cut, there could not be any ‘confidentiality’ about these opinions especially when the privilege was not claimed on the ground of public interest.

                        A film is judged in its entirety from the point of view of its overall impact and is examined in the light of the period depicted in the film and the contemporary standards of the country and the people to whom the film relates, provided that the film does not deprave the morality of the audience.

f       Objectives of film certification:

f  

     Detailed Guidelines for certification:

Ø Anti-social activities such as violence are not glorified or justified.

Ø Scenes which have the effect of justifying or glorifying drinking are shown.

Ø Human sensibilities are not offended by vulgarity, obscenity or depravity.

Ø Such dual meaning words as obviously cater to baser instincts are not allowed.

Ø Scenes degrading or denigrating women in any manner are not presented.

Ø Visual or words contemptuous of racial, religious or other groups are not presented.

Ø The sovereignty and integrity or India is not called in question.

Ø The security of the State is not jeopardized or endangered.

Ø Friendly relations with foreign state are not strained.

Ø Public order is not engaged.

“Censorship, like charity, should begin at home, but, unlike charity, it should end there.”   -Clare Booth Luce

f       Conclusion:

                      Not only the moves but Music, Dramas, Maps, Books, Regional films, Documentaries, which hurt the feeling of the people are banned or censored. A film with distorted history, tradition or culture that is feared to create controversy are harm to the national integrity.

                      Given the reach and power of the film medium, without censorship there might be a flood of grade Z or reactionary films,. Hence, censorship is significant but we should see that Censor board doesn’t become puppets of power.