Censoring 'Udta Punjab' violates my right to watch it: Zoya Akhtar

Bollywood filmmaker Zoya Akhtar, who came out in full support of the Udta Punjab team, has always believed that censoring a piece of art was bizarre. In an exclusive chat with Firstpost, the director of films such as Luck By Chance, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Dil Dhadakne Do, lashes out at the system and hints that tomorrow it could be her turn. What is your take on the Udta Punjab censorship issue and on the stand that CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification) has taken?  It is getting crazy. We have been saying for a long time that legally it is a certification board; why are they censoring? It is absolutely ridiculous to say ’take out Punjab’, ’take out MLA, MP’ or the cuss words. The producer and director are not asking for a Universal certificate, where you need to protect children. We are talking about adults, we are saying give an Adult certificate. Are you trying to say that adults are not fit to watch films and make up their own mind? Do you think there are many discrepancies and inconsistencies in the system? That makes no sense because every time a new CBFC chief comes, the morality of the country can’t change. Today somebody sitting there feels this is wrong and it should be cut; tomorrow somebody else comes and has another point of view. The only thing that makes sense is that you certify the film and tell people it is an Adult movie, or it is a U/A movie, or a U movie and everyone goes according to the law. You should hold theatre owners’ responsible, see that they do not allow underage children in. For instance, in a bar, the bar owner is responsible that he doesn’t serve alcohol to an underage child. You can’t say that even the adults can’t go into the bar. But the problem here is that the CBFC is censoring adults, and as an adult citizen do you want to be censored? Can’t we make up our own mind? [caption id=“attachment_2830640” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  One person sitting somewhere cannot decide what you can watch or not. Image courtesy Zoya Akhtar[/caption] Have you had any issue with the CBFC when it comes to your films? No, I haven’t had any problem with censorship. I had to cut out one word from Luck By Chance. They had asked me about it and I had spoken to them and they were good with me. They allowed me to use it. Then there’s a shot in Dil Dhadakne Do where Anushka Sharma shows her middle finger to Ranveer Singh. They asked me about that shot, I explained and told them what I thought and they let it go. I have had good experiences, but I haven’t made a film like Udta Punjab and I want to make a film like this at some point. I am going to at some point make a film where the reality of the characters or the world that it is set in will be different. It will be much more violent — and by violence I don’t mean hitting and beating, I mean violence in language. It is a way of communication, it is the currency with which people communicate on the streets or wherever. It is a form of violence… and I would want to make a film that will be set in the world, where that is the language. You can’t tell me I can’t. It is not about whether my film was in trouble or not. At the end of the day, censorship is across the board. If you censor Udta Punjab, you are not just stopping them from releasing their film, you are stopping me from watching it and that’s against my rights. I want to see that film. I don’t think it is fair on the audience to be denied a creative piece of work — you are telling them that they don’t have brains. They do and they will decide for themselves. Before the day comes when I make a film like that, I would like to watch it. You are anyway violating my right, whether I have made the film or not. Your family is the third generation in films and filmmaking. What have you seen and experienced when it comes to censorship? As a kid the issue always came up and went. But from what I remember, it kept changing — which is what is weird. Every time some new person comes in, it can’t change the morality of the country or what people believe in. That is something odd. Some are more lenient, some are not, don’t say this word, people will shut down the theatre, somebody will get offended… If you are getting offended then don’t go to the theatre. There are lot of trailers that offend me and so I don’t buy the ticket. Because as an artist, I have the right, and on some level I believe that it is my duty to show society a mirror. I have the right to reflect and I must reflect society. Even if people don’t want to do that and they make a tacky offensive sex comedy, they should be allowed to do that; I just won’t go and buy the ticket. What other people make also reflects society. If people are going to watch it that is also reflection of the society. We cannot ban anything, we just have to give the choice of buying the ticket or not. It is the nature of the job; everybody can’t make something that everybody likes. You don’t like a particular filmmaker or actor, don’t watch their films. If you love the promo, go watch it. It is your choice. No one can decide for you. And once you buy the ticket, you have every right to say you like the movie or you did not. You are the customer; the patron. But one person sitting somewhere cannot decide what you can watch or not. We keep discussing about the films Nihalani has made and then he’s being vilified by one and all. Is he the wrong choice for this position? I honestly don’t know where Nihalani is coming from because of the kind of films he has made. He knows better. He was allowed to make those films and put them out there. I don’t know what he has to say on this. You will have to ask him. The verdict on Udta Punjab is out on Monday. Whatever the decision, do you think the issue will be resolved once and for all? Is it the end of the problem? Tomorrow there can be another Udta Punjab. How many people can afford to go to court and fight? Yes, but the conversation has started. It has got a lot of support. It is like setting a precedent; the industry has come together in large numbers to support. The court, members of the government, all have supported it. So I think we are in a good space. I think conversation on some level has changed. There is also audience support and people are also understanding that no film can be banned or any filmmaker can be told to make changes. But it is not just the film or the producer’s loss. Every time something like this happens, you are violating the right of the citizen as well. You are telling them you are not fit to watch something. It is not just about the film industry, or the artiste or the filmmaker; it is about every single citizen and people are waking up to that. At the end of the day, freedom of speech is preceded by thought. So are you going to start censoring how people think. If I want to do something, I will start wondering and worrying — ‘Can I do this? Will someone feel bad, will someone say anything, will I be allowed to?’ You are messing with people’s heads, you are actually going to damage imagination. You are not free, if you have to censor how you think. People are beginning to see that and understand. Look at what we are exposed to. Look at the news in our newspapers, look at the language you hear on the streets, read what your trolls say. Are you trying to say that I can’t hear it in a movie? We are exposed to this language in the country we are living in. It is not possible to escape it. What are you telling me? You have been exposed to world cinema. What is the censorship like in other parts of the world? Different countries have different ways of censoring and different levels of censorship. They have different things that qualify or don’t qualify. Iran has tough censorship obviously because it is an Islamic state. We are not an Islamic state, and we don’t want to be one. We are a democracy — we claim to be the largest democracy in the world. So let’s act like one. Sometimes I have had dialogues with filmmakers in other parts of the world and some felt that it is ridiculous to include — ‘Smoking is injurious to health’ in the film. They just can’t believe it. Nowhere in this world can you do that. If I make a painting and if a woman is smoking in the painting, are you going to make me write that on the painting? It is absolutely ridiculous; people laugh at us. You put it before the film if you need to. And if you are so worried, ban cigarettes. But don’t make me put it on my film. There are filmmakers who don’t want to release their films in our country. Woody Allen refused to release his film, Blue Jasmine,(2013) in India because he didn’t want to put anti-tobacco messages in his movie. It is so offensive. You are putting it on my work. I can walk on the streets and see people smoking. It is insane. Most filmmakers don’t want to curb their creativity just because of the censorship issue, but they have to think about their producers’ and actors’ interest. Some directors, who are into making realistic cinema, wonder if they should start making rom-coms and comedies to play it safe. Or they could even be forced to do so. Comment? It will kill the industry if they do that. Everybody can’t make the same kind of movie, that will be boring for the filmmakers as well as for the audience. You can’t be in denial of what reality is or what is going on around us and pretend that everything is okay and then expect good cinema. It is not going to happen. I really think that if all the producers, actors, filmmakers, and everybody gets together, you can change this. You don’t have to think that this is not my film, so why should I support you, because one day it will be your turn. Everybody just get together and fight it out. If you are united nobody can mess with you. What do your parents (Javed Akhtar and Honey Irani), and Farhan (Akhtar) have to say? My parents are completely liberal and so is my brother. There is no doubt which side they are on. My mother was in Conoor and she texted me saying that she just saw all this on television and wanted to know if I was going to support ’no censorship’ and the makers of Udta Punjab. They are obviously in support of ’no censorship’.