Friday, 6 March 2015

#Elevate 2015 – ACEE- The Third Eye

#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.

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