Udta Punjab reignites political war on drug abuse
Gautam Dheer, June 8, 2016, DHNS
Upcoming Shahid Kapoor-Alia Bhatt starrer Udta Punjab which courted controversy over its expletives in dialogues is fast generating political overtones as the theme of the movie is Punjab’s burning drug problem.
Punjab Assembly elections will be held early next year and Opposition parties intend to make drug abuse a major election issue much to the chagrin of the ruling SAD-BJP alliance that discounts any such move as an attempt to defame Punjab and its gentry.
The review committee of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), which earlier suggested 89 cuts in the film over liberal use of expletives in dialogues, is now seeking to delete the word ‘Punjab’ from its title. The movie is scheduled to release on June 17.
The committee, it is learnt, wants the film to be set in a fictional land and not Punjab. The Akali Dal apparently has an objection to what the censor board wants to delete. The Congress and the AAP in Punjab are terming the move as a “political conspiracy”, although the Akali Dal says it’s the problem of the censor board and the party has nothing to with it. The man behind the film, Anurag Kashyap, tweetted on Tuesday saying, “There is no film more honest than Udta Punjab. And any person or party opposing it is actually guilty of promoting drugs.” Kashyap is also not impressed with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s unsolicited support for the movie.
“Please don’t colour my fight with any political affiliation because there is none. I request Congress, AAP and other political parties to stay out of my battle. It’s my Rights vs the Censorship. I speak only on my behalf. It’s my fight verses a dictatorial man sitting there operating like an oligarch in his constituency of censor board, that’s my North Korea,” said Kashyap.
Punjab Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh while condemning CBFC decision said, “If Akali-BJP thinks by banning Udta Punjab they can hide reality of Punjab, they are badly mistaken. More people will now know Punjab’s truth.”
The Akali Dal apprehends the film could be fodder for the opposition Congress and the AAP to drub the ruling SAD-BJP regime on the issue of drug abuse in Punjab. Even in the run up to the elections, opposition parties are leaving no stone unturned to blame the ruling party for the growing drug menace in the state. Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal has maintained that the opposition rhetoric is only an attempt to defame the people of Punjab.
DH News Service
Movie screening for Benegal
An exclusive screening of Abhishek Chaubey’s controversy-ridden “Udta Punjab” has been organised on Wednesday for eminent filmmaker Shyam Benegal, who heads the government-appointed censor board revamp committee, PTI reports from Mumbai.
The move comes in the wake of the movie’s producer Anurag Kashyap slamming the board for its apparent issues with the film, which deals with problem of substance abuse in Punjab. National Award-winning director Benegal said once he watches the movie, he will be in a position to comment on the controversy surrounding it.
Amarinder slams Censor Board
Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh on Tuesday slammed the Censor Board, PTI reports from Chandigarh. “It is like taking the soul out of the film’s body,” he said while pointing out that the whole theme of the movie revolved around Punjab and the “devastating” drug problem it faced.
Punjab Assembly elections will be held early next year and Opposition parties intend to make drug abuse a major election issue much to the chagrin of the ruling SAD-BJP alliance that discounts any such move as an attempt to defame Punjab and its gentry.
The review committee of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), which earlier suggested 89 cuts in the film over liberal use of expletives in dialogues, is now seeking to delete the word ‘Punjab’ from its title. The movie is scheduled to release on June 17.
The committee, it is learnt, wants the film to be set in a fictional land and not Punjab. The Akali Dal apparently has an objection to what the censor board wants to delete. The Congress and the AAP in Punjab are terming the move as a “political conspiracy”, although the Akali Dal says it’s the problem of the censor board and the party has nothing to with it. The man behind the film, Anurag Kashyap, tweetted on Tuesday saying, “There is no film more honest than Udta Punjab. And any person or party opposing it is actually guilty of promoting drugs.” Kashyap is also not impressed with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s unsolicited support for the movie.
“Please don’t colour my fight with any political affiliation because there is none. I request Congress, AAP and other political parties to stay out of my battle. It’s my Rights vs the Censorship. I speak only on my behalf. It’s my fight verses a dictatorial man sitting there operating like an oligarch in his constituency of censor board, that’s my North Korea,” said Kashyap.
Punjab Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh while condemning CBFC decision said, “If Akali-BJP thinks by banning Udta Punjab they can hide reality of Punjab, they are badly mistaken. More people will now know Punjab’s truth.”
The Akali Dal apprehends the film could be fodder for the opposition Congress and the AAP to drub the ruling SAD-BJP regime on the issue of drug abuse in Punjab. Even in the run up to the elections, opposition parties are leaving no stone unturned to blame the ruling party for the growing drug menace in the state. Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal has maintained that the opposition rhetoric is only an attempt to defame the people of Punjab.
DH News Service
Movie screening for Benegal
An exclusive screening of Abhishek Chaubey’s controversy-ridden “Udta Punjab” has been organised on Wednesday for eminent filmmaker Shyam Benegal, who heads the government-appointed censor board revamp committee, PTI reports from Mumbai.
The move comes in the wake of the movie’s producer Anurag Kashyap slamming the board for its apparent issues with the film, which deals with problem of substance abuse in Punjab. National Award-winning director Benegal said once he watches the movie, he will be in a position to comment on the controversy surrounding it.
Amarinder slams Censor Board
Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh on Tuesday slammed the Censor Board, PTI reports from Chandigarh. “It is like taking the soul out of the film’s body,” he said while pointing out that the whole theme of the movie revolved around Punjab and the “devastating” drug problem it faced.
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