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While the censor board slashes half of Udta Punjab, how do movies that demean women face no trouble at all?
The upcoming Hindi movie Udta Punjab has been mired in controversy since the very beginning. It was earlier in the news for bringing together the ex-couple Shahid and Kareena back on the silver screen after their much popularised break-up.
The movie which is about the drug menace in Punjab is now facing the ire of the censor board. Apart from having an issue with the title, the board has also suggested 89 cuts in the film, to remove all swear words.
This realistic film focuses on a major threat to our society and youngsters. It is sad to see that movies which focus on actual issues have to fight to retain their essence where as light and fluffy entertainers are passed without a single cut.
I have nothing against light films. I think they are essential and I personally enjoy most of them, but if it is about hurting sensibilities then they do that as well.
Popular chart busters such as ‘munni badnamm hui’ and ‘chikni chameli’ portray women in a degrading manner, yet there is no censorship on them. They run to packed houses. What’s more, these songs were passed when a lady was the Chairperson of the board.
How about movies like ‘Kya Kool Hain Hum’? Even with an ‘A’ certification the movie should have faced the censors for its obvious double meaning jokes.
The Salman Khan starrer Kick has the heroine Jacqueline Fernandez practically stripping in one song. In another film of the same star, Wanted, he whistles, hoots and leers at his actresses. In Grand Masti, cringe worthy jokes revolving around sex and women make the rounds. The list is endless and I can go on.
The censor board is present to ensure that no objectionable material is allowed to be released for public consumption. But what is the definition of objectionable? In my view the above listed examples are definitely objectionable to the community of women, yet they were not stopped.
I believe that in the creative space you have to allow some liberty. But there is a need to define this liberty. Anything which is not falling in the conventional space – be it title of the file, dialogues, songs cannot be removed without a good reason.
Udta Punjab is one of those rare movies that are trying to make a difference and expose the sleazy underbelly of the drug racket which has taken root in our society. It is essential that they are allowed to be viewed freely by all those who choose to do so.
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UP Boards Topper Prachi Nigam was trolled on social media for her facial hair; our obsession with appearance is harsh on young minds.
Prachi Nigam’s photo has been doing the rounds on social media for the right reasons. Well, scratch that- I wish the above statement were true. This 15-year-old girl should ideally be revelling in her spectacular achievement of scoring a whopping 98.05% and topping her tenth-grade boards. But oddly enough, along with her marks, it’s something else that garners more attention – her facial hair.
While the trolls are driving themselves giddy by mocking this girl who hasn’t even completed her school yet, the ones who are taking her side are going one step ahead – they are sharing her photoshopped pictures, sans the facial hair, looking nothing less than a celebrity with captions saying – “Prachi Nigam, ten years later”.
Doctors have already diagnosed her with PCOD in their comments, based on photographic evidence. While we have names for people shamed for their weight – body shaming, for their skin colour- racism, for their age- age shaming, for being a female- sexism, this category of shaming where one faces criticism for their appearance has no name. With that, it also has zero shame attached to it.
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