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Filmmaker Ashvin Kumar hits out at CBFC for ‘abuse of power’
Mumbai, Oct 16 (IANS) Filmmaker Ashvin Kumar has questioned the Central Board of Film Certification’s (CBFC) decision to give his new movie “No Fathers in Kashmir” an ‘A’ certificate, which he says is discriminatory to a small independent film.
“No Fathers in Kashmir”, a Kashmir-set story of forgiveness and hope told through two teenagers experiencing first-love and heartbreak, was given an ‘A’ certificate following a review committee screening on October 6.
Kumar says the movie has no sex, no violence, no vulgarity, no profanity, no nudity and no drug abuse, as it attempts to provide a fresh and youthful look at an old issue by involving young people whose lives echo the lives of its teenaged protagonists.
“The CBFC’s decision is, firstly, against established law. In the case of Pankaj Bhutalia’s film on stone pelting in Kashmir, ‘The Textures of Loss’, in which the facts are almost similar to that of ‘No Fathers in Kashmir’, the Delhi High Court converted the ‘A’ rating to ‘U’,” Kumar said in a statement.
The filmmaker has also pointed out that CBFC is “being discriminatory to a small independent film as it has awarded a U/A certificate to big budget Bollywood film ‘Haider’, which was far more critical of the situation in Kashmir than ‘No Fathers in Kashmir'”.
He feels the CBFC has “avoided looking at the totality of ‘No Fathers in Kashmir’, as it is mandated to do by its own rules, by ignoring the film’s overall message of forgiveness and hope”.
“CBFC viewed the film instead through a narrow prism that belies a complex, multi-layered narrative. CBFC has also completely ignored the reality of the present situation in the country, ignored facts already in the public domain, ignored evolving tastes of younger audiences, ignored content presently available on TV and Internet and ignored precedents of previous films on Kashmir being cleared for universal screening.
“CBFC’s stand is retrograde. It reiterates decades of tired concepts that have left little room for dialogue while denying,” Kumar added.
Kumar has earlier made films like “Inshallah, Football” and “Inshallah, Kashmir”, both about Kashmir. They won a National Award each and were awarded at Dubai, Pusan, Chicago and other international festivals. But they too were both initially banned by the CBFC then, and after a protest by the filmmaker, both were given an ‘A’ certificate, read the statement.
Kumar, son of veteran fashion designer Ritu Kumar, says the ‘A’ certificate is “death by strangulation” for a filmmaker.
Explaining why, he said: “Being an independent film without big studio backing, monetisation is a challenge in itself. Theatrical revenues barely cover marketing costs and producers expect to make 50-60 per cent of the total revenues from broadcast rights, not to mention the audience exposure a film gets from being on TV.
“Under present laws broadcasters cannot air ‘A’ certificate films on TV. They can only run either ‘U/A’ or ‘U’ certificate films. Thus, an ‘A’ certificate is as good as banning the film,” he said.
He says by the time “No Fathers in Kashmir” is given relief by the courts of the land, it may become “financially unviable to release the film”.
“I lost both revenue and audience due to CBFC’s misuse of the ‘A’ certificate in the case of ‘Inshallah, Football’ and ‘Inshallah, Kashmir’. This is the third time they are trying to restrict my film using an ‘A’ certificate. This is an abuse of power, whereas CBFC’s mandate is only to certify films,” Kumar added.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.
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