Indo-Asian News Service
Chandigarh, June 9: Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh Thursday announced he will release uncensored copies of Bollywood movie ‘Udta Punjab’ in Majitha town near Amritsar in the state June 17.
The movie has run into trouble with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) over references to Punjab and the drugs racket in the state. The Congress leader said: “Majitha town, like Mexico, is the epicentre of drugs trade in Punjab. It was decided to release the movie there.” The movie’s release is scheduled for June 17.
Amarinder said he has written to movie’s producers Anurag Kashyap and Ekta Kapoor, urging them to provide copies of the uncensored movie on compact discs so that he can release it simultaneously with its worldwide premiere. “The purpose of releasing the movie in Majitha is to tell the (ruling) Akalis and the BJP that no matter to what extent they try to go to gag the truth, I will expose it at any cost,” Amarinder said in a statement here. “Not only do we want to highlight the harsh reality of Punjab, but also assert the right to freedom of speech and expression guaranteed by our Constitution, which is being infringed upon by the BJP at the behest of the Akalis, using the censor board,” the Congress leader said in the letter to the producers. Amarinder also clarified to the movie’s producers that all the legal onus of releasing the uncensored CDs of the movie will be on him only.
“I guarantee you that I will take the entire responsibility of the legal implications, if any, for releasing the uncensored CDs as we want the truth to be told, no matter at what price,” he said. He said Majitha town in Amritsar district had become synonymous with ‘chitta’ (synthetic drug) that has affected Punjab.
HC seeks reply from Censor Board
Mumbai/New Delhi: As the row over ‘Udta Punjab’ raged, the Bombay High Court Thursday sought an explanation from the Censor Board over its insistence for deleting Punjab signboard in the drug-themed film which triggered fresh sparring. The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), however, submitted that all the 13 changes including deletion of Punjab in the film title suggested by its Revising Committee were justified and proper. A bench headed by Justice S C Dharmadhikari was hearing a petition filed by Phantom Films, producer of ‘Udta Punjab’ which is aggrieved by an order of the Revising Committee that suggested changes in the film before its release June 17. Justice Dharmadhikari compared ‘Udta Punjab’ with another film released earlier titled “Go, Goa, Gone” and said in that movie the state of Goa is shown as a place where people go to socialise in parties and also take banned drugs. “If Goa can be shown as a place of drug abuse in that film, what is wrong if Punjab is shown in Udta Punjab?” asked the judge. The Censor Board lawyer argued that the order of the Revising Committee suggesting 13 changes in the film was not arbitrary and the committee had applied its mind while making these suggestions.
