Udta Punjab, and Bollywood's battle with the censors

Bollywood directors are trying to make more progressive films, but being stopped at every turn by overzealous censorship boards

Udta Punjab deals with drug addiction ((Pic: BalajiMotionPictures))

The relationship between the Bollywood film industry and the film standards governing body, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has had more ups and downs than David Cameron and Boris Johnson. However, the CBFC is now facing its own 'Brexit' moment following a clash with the makers of a new Bollywood film, Udta Punjab, after the board demanded a staggering 89 cuts before the film could be released this month. The ensuing legal battle has been seen as a test case for the entire industry as the Bombay High Court ruled in favour of Udta Punjab and the CBFC were ordered to allow the release of the film within 48 hours of the court's decision.

Udta Punjab, starring Alia Bhatt and Kareena Kapoor Khan, which is currently on general release, is a powerful study of the growing problem of drug addiction in the Punjab region of India and follows the stories of a diverse mix of characters from different backgrounds, whose narratives are entwined by the drugs epidemic that has gripped the region from a rock star to a rural migrant who, at the mercy of drug dealers, becomes a sex worker. However, it has also become the centre of a battle over freedom of expression between the world's most prolific film industry and the censor board, due to the board's bizarre demands. Among the demands were the removal of any reference to the Punjab from the film, including its title, the use of expletives and several other words deemed controversial, such as "parliament."

The producer of Udta Punjab, Anurag Kashyap, is now leading a campaign calling for reforms to the country's current legislation, the Cinematograph Act 1952 and a revamp of the CBFC, nicknamed the 'censor board' for its draconian and often bizarre decisions such as cutting out a kissing scene in the more recent Bond film, Spectre, which attracted international ridicule.

"It has been a long battle and a battle of sensitivities," said Kashyap. "We are protesting the Cinematograph Act which binds us so much. Cinema has grown in leaps and bounds and we are living in the age of information so all the boundaries actually don't make sense. We are unhappy with the way the CBFC is handling its' responsibility and has been delivering these decisions, and we are protesting against them and the way they do things just the way they feel like it. The whole industry has been dealing with this kind of high-handedness, and suffering as a result so I made a point with my film and how I responded to the treatment of my film."

The landmark decision by the High Court has major implications for the film industry as it comes at a time when a growing number of filmmakers are pushing the boundaries (and the patience of the CBFC) in terms of story lines and sexuality in films, putting the industry increasingly at odds with the country's conservative government, which has been pushing for more restrictions on what it sees as a western, cultural colonisation of traditional Hindu values in India cinema. The furore has also become a microcosm for the industry's collective frustration at the perceived inconsistency and arbitrariness of the board's decisions and as such, has had the backing of the powerful film fraternity with many Bollywood stars expressing their support for the film.

The works of Shekar Kapur, the award-winning director of Elizabeth and Elizabeth: The Golden Age may never have seen the light of day, when his break out film, Bandit Queen, was initially banned by the CBFC. Based on the true story of Phoolan Devi, a lower-caste child bride who becomes the leader of a notorious gang of bandits and wreaks violent revenge on a group of men who gang raped her, the film faced the wrath of the censors for its content and the brutal rape scene which is central to the story. Speaking to The Independent, the acclaimed director said: "In the time of social media, where 90 per cent of audio visual content is viewed non-theatrically and over the internet, the CBFC has little value. There are 12,000 cinemas in India today and 800 million cell phones, soon most of which will be able to receive streaming content. The Cinematograph Act of 1952 has, in any case, become meaningless in a society undergoing such rapid cultural and technological change as India is. The censor board may soon find itself redundant, if not so already."

While, in the past, political and social issues were mainly restricted to art house cinema releases, which did well on the film festival circuit but attracted marginal audiences at home, in recent years, an increasing number of commercial films have been breaking away from the traditional Bollywood formula and exploring the darker side of India, receiving both critical acclaim and commercial success as a result.

This trend has partly been fuelled by the demands of the overseas market with diaspora audiences in the west making up a sizable chunk of the film industry's revenue. Domestically, the country has seen a huge expansion of its affluent and relatively youthful middle class who have grown up with satellite TV and are looking to be informed as well as entertained.

As audiences have become more receptive to films which tackle serious issues, this has allowed filmmakers the freedom and financial backing to become more experimental and bolder as they seek to redefine commercial cinema for a discerning audience. Actress Alia Bhatt, who stars in Udta Punjab added: "Even though it deals with very serious subject matter, I think Udta Punjab is still a commercial film. A few years ago, a commercial film was thought to be just about romance with lots of singing and dancing, but I think people have moved on from that and are interested in different kinds of films which explore serious subjects. I think it is important to bring issues like this on to the big screen. People see a lot on TV and the internet and in music and it is important to educate ourselves. Film is a medium through which we can do that.

"I come from a family of filmmakers where we are very open and we believe in bringing the truth to the screen. We know the truth hurts, but that's why it is important to bring that truth out. Often these kinds of issues like drug problems develop because nobody talks about it, but challenging issues in films encourages discussion."

However, films with a political and social message still face an uphill battle with anything seen to damage the reputation of the country on the world stage facing the wrath of the CBFC. There was international outrage following the ban on Leslee Udwin's documentary, India's Daughter, about the brutal gang-rape of a 19-year-old student, Jyoti Singh, who later died of her injuries. Similarly, Haider, set in Indian-administered Kashmir against the backdrop of the insurgency of the 1990s, caused protests for its no holds barred portrayal of human rights abuses by the state and graphic scenes of torture in Indian army camps. The film, a retelling of Hamlet, about a poet who investigates the mysterious disappearance of his father and gets drawn into the political quagmire of the region, had its release date postponed for several months

As in Hollywood, Bollywood has always had more liberal attitudes to sex and sexuality. However, with the recent easing on restrictions on PDA's on screen, filmmakers have done away with scenes of doe-eyed actresses fluttering their eyelashes coquettishly before diving behind a strategically placed rose bush and kissing scenes have become the norm. However, a number of recent releases including Jism 2, starring former porn star Sunny Leone, have got film censors hot under the collar. However, in a country where homosexuality is illegal and can result in life imprisonment (though it is rarely enforced) the CBFC are more cautious about films featuring homosexual relationships.

Last year, the film Aligarh, based on a true story about a university lecturer who was sacked from his job at a prestigious university because of his sexual orientation caused controversy with the Mayor of Aligarh from the ruling BJP party accusing the filmmakers of attempting to "defame" the city. Although the film escaped a complete ban, even the trailer of Aligarh received an A rating, which is usually reserved for sexually explicit films, leading to the film's director accusing the board of being homophobic.

However, a social change in attitude to homosexuality was evident in the success of Kapoor and Sons starring Fawad Khan earlier this year. At first glance what seems like a run of the mill Bollywood family drama about two brothers, the perfect son and the black sheep who are groomed to inherit the family business was given a modern twist when the parents discover the favoured son is gay and the facade the perfect family begins to unravel. The film managed to escape relatively unscathed, with seven cuts to the original film.