Anupam Kher backs Kashyap in 'Udta Punjab'

NEW DELHI: Information and broadcasting minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday said film certification norms will have to be liberal and "some very radical changes" will be announced over the next few days. The film 'Udta Punjab' was handed down 89 cuts by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and its makers have appealed in the Film Certificate Appelate Tribunal (FCAT).

FCAT is expected to hear the case on June 17 when the film was scheduled for release. The filmmakers have also approached the Bombay high court for relief.

Speaking on the 'Udta Punjab' controversy, Jaitley said, "I won't say it is overboard. I don't know this case because I have not seen this film in question."

Stating that he was "not satisfied" with the existing system of film certification, Jaitley said some changes were about to be made. "There is a well documented report by Shyam Benegal, the first part of which has come to me which is under consideration. Over the next few days, we are going to announce some very radical changes in that," he said.

The Benegal committee, he said, has suggested some changes. "You will probably have a system where you will have to have a certificate. The correct word is certification and not censorship. Certification norms will have to be liberal," Jaitley said at a function here.

The CBFC has contended that 'Udta Punjab', a drug-themed crime thriller, needed several cuts as it cast the state in a bad light by giving an impression that most people there were addicts.

The numerous cuts sparked a confrontation between Bollywood filmmakers, the censor board and political parties.

On the row, Jaitley said, "I think that we are overstating it because at the end of the day, you have a board which takes a view which may be a little conservative view but then at the appeal tribunal, with an appeal, it can get disposed of. My experience has been almost everything then gets cleared ."

Trying to play down the controversy, he said there were people in the system whose attitude may be a little conservative. "But then there are internal checks and balances. For instance, I look at the big picture and the big picture is a certification board, we popularly call it censor board and you have the appeal tribunal. Now, whenever you have a problem at the level of the first body, people go to the next slab and almost in 99% of the cases, with or without some changes, it gets cleared by the next body," he said.