News

The CBFC to take strong action against Rangoon for breaking the law

7 Mar 2017

There is more trouble for the doomedVishalBhardwajsunken epic Rangoon.The film is now in serious legal trouble for playing in theatres without the censor certificate and without flashing the anti-smoking statutory warning. Theshocking disregard for censorial rules came to light after theCFBC(Central Board of Film Certification) received complaints about Rangoon blissfully flaunting rules. As per law theCBFCis all set to take the strictest possible legal action. CBFCs chairpersonPahlajNihalanisaid, It has been brought to our notice that Rangoon has been playing in theatres across the country and outside India without showing the censor certificate and without the anti-smoking short-films which are compulsory for all films that have scenes showing the actors smoking and/or drinking. In fact Rangoon had many scenes showing the main leads indulging in serious substance abuse. We had asked the makers to put a disclaimer before the opening credit-titles regarding the rampant use of alcohol and cigarettes and other intoxicants in the film. That disclaimer has gone missing. Now we are informed that the anti-smoking films do not play at the beginning and after intermission. We are also informed that the censor certificate is not flashed at the start, as per, law. These are serious offences. Nihalanisays theCBFCis initiating strict criminal and legal action. We are taking optimum legal action against the digital operators, to begin with. We would not like to point fingers at anyone else for the lapse at this time. It is the digital operators responsibility to play exactly the length that is shown to us and certified by the CBFC. Not a second more or less of footage must be shown in theatres than what we have certified. The exact length of the film that is shown to us and certified by us is mentioned in the censor certificate. If the anti-smoking films have been removed from the beginning and after intermission, and if the censor certificate is not being shown in Rangoon then the digital operators are screening less footage than what has been approved by theCBFC. It is a serious offence. We are investigating to see how deep the offence it goes. Nihalaniadds, Maybe some self-appointed intellectuals of our film industry feel it is okay to break the law as long as they can ridicule the jurisdiction of theCBFC. Incidentally Rangoon directorVishalBhardwajhad spoken up vehemently against the anti-smoking disclaimers. In 2012 while releasing his film MatruKiBijliKaMandola he had removed the usual mandatory anti-smoking films that are shown twice with all feature films and had replaced it with a humorous song composed specially for the film.