#Elevate 2015 – ACEE- The Third Eye.
Recently attended one of the conclaves held at the
suburban club; and probably it was one of the best in the recent times. It did
open up different perspectives to various viewpoints guess that’s why they name
it The Third Eye.
It had two panel discussions one led by Garry Lyons and
the other by Mahesh Bhatt. Although the theme remained women liberation or say
empowerment in the first one with TV as a medium; the second one revolved
around the way CBFC view things and how the film industry cannot let CBFC curb the
creativity.
The first one had people from different walks of society
forming a panel and sharing their viewpoints – opening up different layers of
perception for the audience. We in the urban city really feel why daily soaps
sob so much and it’s the same repetitive stuff almost in all the serials.
However, the lady Gajra Kottary creative writer of Balika Vadhu did share her
experience on how they nailed Child Marriage; explored the nuances law has
w.r.t the same and how they were integrated for the appetite of the India
Television audience. Moulding something like these encapsulating facts into
entertainment is what these creative content writers are appreciated for.
Balika Vadhu running for the longest daily soap has win over Kyunki saas….
Television plays a very important role in rural India as
the only medium of creating awareness as compared to the Internet driven metro
cities where all the information is just on your palm. Major percentage of the
Indian Population still depends on Television as their only source of
information. Hence, as content creators they have a huge responsibility to
drive it rightly. There were few more serials recognized and rewarded with the
same. Sister Didi, Diya aur Baati and Udaan – each distinguished with its own
distinctive storyline with huge audience impacts. To someone like me who hardly
watches television these days; this was a completely new perception – a third
eye opened.
Mahesh
Bhatt opened up the 2nd Panel Discussion stating his wife Soni
wanted to watch the documentary India’s Daughter and Mahesh Bhatt responded
stating it’s BANNED by the government and one shouldn’t be watching. Soni said
well she chooses to watch. This is exactly what government needs to learn to
give a choice to the audience in the so called democratic country. They talk
about being free where creativity is being restricted but people are free to
rape. Where they ban the CUSS words in the movie but government can’t hold people
by practicing them in the real world.
Where
someone chose to be Roasted they have a problem with them but someone who
chooses to be secured they can’t secure them enough. Hypocrisy at its best.
Amit Khanna part of the panel discussion stated as he was writing an article on
the same – Home Minister called up BBC asking them to stop the broadcast of the
documentary “India’s Daughter” and he was asked to SHUT UP. Well Done BBC!!!
Bhawna
Somaiya opened up the right angle without hitting left and right; made is
precise to the topic of how CBFC worked and what best practices should work to
keep the creativity in place with not much agreement from the people part of
the panel discussion and part of the film industry too. Ketan Mehta, Sudhir
Mishra all had a view point but not a clear vision of what level of synergy
would be required at both the levels to keep the freedom of expression;
creativity intact.
AnuRanjan
came up with the best example on what CBFC misses – a person going to watch
Grand Masti knows what he is heading for and is ready with the adult comedy
whereas person going with family to watch Dolly Ki Doli doesn’t know he would
be thrown upon a sleazy dialogue a friend asking another “Tune uski lee” putting
a sudden discomfort.
Yet the topic continues to remain open for
discussion. Are the people who form the Censor Body well enough to judge to
decide what 1,267,401,849 population of India will watch? There have been great
impacts on the creative writers/directors to showcase their talent on the open
canvas. Some in spite of shoddy content get away sliding some cash under the
table which at times restricts film industry to come together. Each one feels
let my film pass by the CBFC certificate than I shall join the revolution, or
one feels CBFC has been kind enough to his story telling and steps back. This
is a thought which film industry would need to ponder and come as ONE to resolve
this at once till than all we would hear is some BEEPS over the CUSS words.
For more
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