Film industry 'kept out' of certification panel

MUMBAI: The Hindi film industry is upset at being kept out of a governmental panel that is restructuring the film certification process. The panel has been constituted by the information and broadcasting (I&B) ministry to relook the provisions of the Cinematograph Act 1952.
Threatening to boycott the committee's decision, Film and Television Producers' Guild president Mukesh Bhatt said it is "strange'' that the government has not considered involving stake-holders such as producers and broadcasters.
The panel, headed by retd Chief Justice (Punjab & Haryana high court) Mukul Mudgal, comprises appellate tribunal chairperson Lalit Bhasin, former chairperson of CBFC Sharmila Tagore, lyricist Javed Akhtar and CBFC chairperson Leela Samson. Other members include South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce secretary L Suresh, former president of Film Federation of India Rameeza Hakim (advocate, SC) and I&B joint secretary (films) Raghvendra Singh.
Besides debating and discussing the categories of certification under the proposed Cinematograph Bill 2013, the panel will consider requirement of special categories for broadcasting films on television. Bhatt said, "Producers and broadcasters are going to be affected by the changes in the Act, but the government has not even considered consulting us."
The only producer on the panel, L Suresh, from south India, said, "I really wish there was at least one representative from the Mumbai film industry. I will speak to the panel to include at least one producer."
It maybe recalled that CBFC had stopped re-certifying films for television after the telecast of films like The Dirty Picture and Jannat 2 was stopped due to adult content.
Association of Motion Picture and Television Programme Producers (AMPTPP) vice-president Vikas Mohan said, "At a meeting between CBFC and the industry, it was decided that a panel will be formed with representation from the film association. We are shocked to see that we have no representation." The AMPTPP plans to write to the ministry in this regard.