Nobody has given you the intellectual morality and authority to decide what one wants to watch: Bombay HC blasts CBFC over certification issue of children’s film ‘Chidiakhana’

By Vandana Srivastawa

on July 06, 2019

Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has often made headlines and often for all the wrong reasons. From refusing to certify films to taking an orthodox stand on morality and taking objections to cuss words and scenes CBFC’s stance were often seen as absurd by the people. Now, Bombay High Court has blasted the CBFC for refusing to issue a Universal (U) certificate to a children's film called Chidiakhana. The film Chidiakhana tells the story of a boy from Bihar, who moves to Mumbai to pursue his dream of playing football.

"Are you ostriches," an angry Bombay High Court bench Friday asked the CBFC and asserted the board will "not decide what one wants to watch and see". In strongly worded observations, a division bench comprising of justices SC Dharmadhikari and Gautam Patel also said that they may have to redefine the role of CBFC as the body thinks it was the "only one with an iota of intelligence to decide for everyone." They said, “Are you (CBFC) ostriches? Put your head in the sand and pretend something does not exist. We actually wonder if the CBFC officials have children of their own. You (CBFC) are a certification board and not a censor board. You will not decide what one wants to watch and see.”

The bench further added, “Nobody has given you (CBFC) the intellectual morality and authority to decide what one wants to watch and see. Looks like we may have to redefine your (CBFC) role entirely. You (CBFC) are forming an opinion that the whole population is infantile and imbecile and you are the only one with an iota of intelligence to decide for everyone.”

The bench made such harsh observations about CBFC because it was hearing a petition filed by the Children's Film Society (CFS), India, seeking directions to the CBFC tribunal to hear its plea in issuing a universal certificate to its film Chidiakhana. The organization had given a U/A certificate to the film in January due to an abusive word and a particular scene in it. However, the society has maintained that the film’s target audience is children and the film is supposed to be screened in schools. CFS in its plea said that it was willing to remove the two objections of CBFC. However, the bench said the CBFC by asking to delete such scenes in films is pretending that these issues do not exist.

Chidiakhana director Manish Tiwary with actor Rithvik Sahore

The CBFC told the court that it has laid down certain conditions and if those are fulfilled then the film will be given a U/A certification but the court got irked by this and said that how can the board keep such conditions. The court said it is better to use the medium of children films to speak about issues like racism, discrimination, child labour and drug abuse to educate the children. Justice Patel said, “How else does one show and explain these issues to a child? Is it not better to show such films to the child and explain that this is what happens and this is wrong.” The bench has directed the CBFC’s Regional Officer to file an affidavit outlining the board’s policy while certifying children’s films. The next hearing on the petition will be on August 5.Chidiakhana stars Ritwik Sahore in the lead and is directed by Manish Tiwary.

(Source: PTI)