Government sees CBFC as facilitator for filmmakers: Smriti Irani

Agencies
October 7, 2017

New Delhi, Oct 7: Union minister Smriti Irani today said the government views agencies like the censor board "as facilitators" within the ambit of law.

She also said she never spoke about former Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chief Pahlaj Nihalani because irrespective of the kind of cinema he makes, he is a senior member of the film fraternity.

The government recently replaced Nihalani with songwriter Prasoon Joshi as the censor board chief.

Since his appointment as the head of CBFC in January 2015, Nihalani had made headlines for a number of controversial moves and statements.

"We have had an unwritten rule, that irrespective of their kind of work we have always given respect to people who are senior or chronologically older than us...," Irani said in conversation with filmmaker Karan Johar at the India Economic Summit here.

"I have never spoken about Mr Nihalani in public and I have chosen not to do so because irrespective of the kind of cinema he makes, he has a seniority," the Information & Broadcasting minister said.

"The only issue is that the government foresees an agency (CBFC) to be a facilitator within the ambit of law and that is all that we are interested in," she added.

Besides, sharing his experiences and problems faced as a filmmaker, Johar said, "When the crisis happened during 'My Name is Khan' it is something that I will never forget. Mr (Narendra) Modi was CM (chief minister) of Gujarat at that time.

"I called him because the problem was penetrating to Gujarat from Maharashtra. We got in touch with him and in 10 minutes the problem was sorted and that gives us as an industry a lot of hope".

In a candid conversation with Johar, Irani touched upon the subject of nepotism surrounding the director.

"I will say this as an actor, you (Johar) are in the news for the wrong reasons of late nepotism and all," she said.

Recalling her past experience with him as an actor, the minister said that Johar sees everyone with respect.

"I have seen you as a filmmaker even when I was a nobody. I had a huge amount of respect for you because you treated every person who walked up to you with dignity irrespective of whom their parents were, and I think that is what we need to set right about the industry, that the industry is not about nepotism, we are about talent.

"It is the Shah Rukh Khans that actually tell the world that we are about talent. It is about people like Ekta (Kapoor). I have seen scores of people line up from villages at her doorstep... that is what we are about, that is what you (Karan) are about also but you don't tell anybody that. You like to take some very serious fights out in the open".

Asked about the protests in Rajasthan against Sanjay Leela Bhansali's magnum opus "Padmavati", the minister told Johar: "I am absolutely sure that the law and order situation will be under control there and state government will ensure that there are no miscreants to disrupt any kind of interaction or discipline and I will also say this that we have a very watchful media so be rest assured".

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
January 10,2020

Mumbai, Jan 10: Superstar Salman Khan on Friday announced that his Eid 2021 release will be titled "Kabhi Eid Kabhi Diwali".

The 54-year-old actor took to Twitter to announce the movie which will be written and produced by filmmaker Sajid Nadiadwala.

"Housefull 4" helmer Farhad Samjhi will be directing the film.

"Announcing my next film... 'Kabhi Eid Kabhi Diwali'. Story and produced by Sajid Nadiadwala. Directed by Farhad Samji. Eid 2021," Salman tweeted.

The actor, whose last release "Dabangg 3" performed moderately at the box office, will next be seen in Prabhudheva's "Radhe". The film will hit the theatres on Eid this year.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
February 27,2020

Mumbai, Feb 27: Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan on Wednesday said it's with constant education that a country, a family can move forward as there is never an end to learning.

In December last year, when the actor visited the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, the La Trobe University announced the 'Shah Rukh Khan La Trobe University PhD Scholarship'. At the event to announce therecipient of the scholarship here on Wednesday, Shah Rukh said it was his honour to lend his name or be attached to the scholarship.

"I am a big believer in education. I truly believe that the way forward for any country, any family, city, state is by educating itself more and more.

"There is never an end to education. I've come to realise the more I know, I figure out, the less I understand. It's very important to keep educating ourselves for the rest of our lives.

"I've always believed education in India and elsewhere in the world, is the most important step forward for any nation," he said.

The scholarship aims to provides an opportunity for an aspiring female researcher from India to undertake research.

The 54-year-old superstar said what also will help taking the world move ahead is educating women.

"Related to the fact, is of course, education of women, empowering women, to look after themselves to look after their families...

"If you are able to empower them with education, the world goes even further forward," the actor added.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
July 3,2020

Mumbai, Jun 3: Investigators will subject the cloth allegedly used by actor Sushant Singh Rajput to hang himself to "tensile strength" analysis to determine whether it can bear the weight similar to that of the filmstar, as part of probe into his death, an official said on Friday.

Rajput (34) was found hanging at his suburban Bandra residence on June 14.

According to the investigators, the actor ended his life by hanging himself from the ceiling using a green coloured night gown made of cotton.

No suicide note was found from the spot, the police had said then.

Besides viscera from the actors body, the police also sent the gown for chemical and forensic analysis at the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in suburban Kalina, he said.

It will take at least three more days to get final forensic report, the official said.

To ascertain the exact cause of death, forensic experts will check pattern of ligature marks around the actors neck and also determine the strength of the gown with the help of "tensile strength" analysis, he said.

The tensile strength test will technically establish whether the cloth can bear around 80kg, the weight of the actor, he said.

The test will help determine if there was any foul play, the official said.

Tensile strength is maximum load that a material can support without fracture when being stretched.

Viscera analysis will help in checking whether there were any traces of chemical, poisonous or narcotics substance in his body, the official said.

"Usually, it takes eight to ten working days to get s report from the FSL in regular cases. But since this case is sensitive, experts are taking more precautions to avoid any kind of error in their analysis," the official said.

The forensic report of the actors mobile phone is also awaited, he said.

Recently, the police received the final post-mortem report of the actor from Cooper Hospital, which mentioned the cause of the death as asphyxia due to hanging"

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.