Jan 29 2009
Creative license granted!
On January 23rd the court overturned a ban on smoking in moves or T.V forced on by Health minister Ramadoss few months before. Lot had been written from both sides of the debate and finally one can puff with glory while the other frowns! The judge said that banning smoking as a whole from movies is violating the creative rights and the right to expression of the entertainers. Also mentioned was the fact that movies reflect realities of life and no matter how undesirable, smoking is a reality of life in the present generation.
I don’t support a harmful thing like smoking but people do smoke till date in public (it has been banned in India).Imagine a movie plot with no suspense or thrill because it raises blood pressure, no parathas because it contains cholesterol, no naughtiness on behalf of child character because children will learn to be naughty and finally a story without any adultery! Well then the movies we have have left can well be said good bye if the Health Minister had his way. He has concentrated more on getting Shahrukh leave smoking then improving the health condition of children in villages or women for the past five years of his term. According to him people often emulate what they watch their favourite actors doing. But Mr. Ramadoss did you emulate what great actors did in their movies while playing politicians of India? Then you may be the evil as politicians are described in movies of India!
Running away from an unwanted part of life or shutting of the future generation from the darker sides of reality by not showing the truth in movies or serials will not help them. Rather banning it will make it more interesting or thrilling to the youngsters who are always craving for some adventure. According to me censorship of any form is nothing but violation of the rights to express one’s views and creativity which is one of the fundamental rights assure to us by our Constitution.
Lastly imagine a night club where the hero and his young friends go to enjoy and there is no smoke but clear screen with not a single glass of wine or even a bar…What a plot!
You’ve made some great points.
I’m just worried that when the Government changes, the Health Minister will change too. So, the law might revert back to what it was!
I agree, arthi. It’s not good to smoke, but there’s no sense in banning it when people are still smoking. Taking it out of movies and television will not make people stop smoking.
http://theinformer.today.com
@dratiffarid
When the supreme court bans an order forever siting rights as the reason no body can question it again as much as I know. And hopefully other health ministers will take some lesson from the way Ramadoss has been criticized.
@millyjohnson
Yeah taking something out from movies will not people from doing it…implementing the public ban on smoking should be the prime concern and not these.
I agree, arthi. More should be made to keep people from smoking instead of worrying about banning it from movies.