Existing film certification system will be scrapped: CBFC Chairperson

Central Board of Film Certification chief Leela Samson has said that the existing system of film classification will be abandoned for a method more suited to today's trends. Samson was speaking at a conference organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the CBFC. The conference, titled 'Samvad CBFC 2011', was organised to bring together Censor Board officials and film makers, to address issues of contention to them.

Many Bollywood biggies and award winning documentary film makers, who had many controversial reels to their credit, attended the event. Veteran film maker Ramesh Sippy remembered his trouble with the Censors during the certification of the legendary movie Sholay. Sippy said that the Censors ordered him to change the climax, as they felt it was violent. This, Sippy said, killed his intended effect of the movie.

Award winning documentary film maker Anand Patwardhan, known for his works that reflect serious issues in India, said he had to fight a legal battle for each of his documentaries. Director Anurag Kashyap said that the Censor Board was quelling the creativity of film makers with regulations totally irrelevant to today's times.

Responding to these opinions, CBFC Chairperson Leela Samson said that a Censor Board official's job is a complex one, as he needs to be sensitive to all the issues in our country that might become controversial if shown on screen. Leela Samson also said that the current system of film certification will give way to a new system, more suited to the changing trends in society.

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