Banning Films Through Threat of Riot is Terrorism
“While in a democratic country, everybody has a right to protest, nobody has the right to resort to violence. But, as things stand today, the protest, any kind of protest, takes an ugly turn. When some people get violent demanding ban of a book for whatever reason, it amounts to terrorism,” said writer Nayantara Sahgal.
Filmmaker Rahul Dholakia reflected on the political interference, which led to the ban of his movie “Parzania” in Gujarat.
“I believe that after a film is cleared for exhibition by the Central Board of Film Certification, nobody has the right to demand a ban on it or disrupt its screenings. But in the case of ‘Parzania’, it is the Gujarat government which has put a bar on its exhibition in the state,” he said.
He disclosed how Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi asked him to arrange a special screening of the movie for Babu Bajrangi, saying that if he found nothing objectionable in it, the government would have no hesitation in clearing the movie’s exhibition in Gujarat.
“How could I have arranged a special screening for the man at whose instigation the Gujarat riots had taken place?” Dholakia asked.
Flavia Agnes, women’s rights activist and lawyer, stated a book or a movie should essentially be judged on the basis of its aesthetic value and for no other consideration