Indian censor Leela Samson resigns over guru film row
Jan 19, 2015 0:43:19 GMT
dancelover likes this
Post by James on Jan 19, 2015 0:43:19 GMT
It's interesting to see the rest of the article, a backgound of the 'guru' in question is also included. You can also take a look the guru's song Love Charger, which is a part of his apparently lucrative music career.
Indian censor Leela Samson resigns over guru film row
India's censor board chief has resigned after reports that a film rejected by her panel has been cleared for release.
Leela Samson quit after an appeals board approved the film Messenger of God, directed by and starring guru Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.
The Ms Samson-led Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) had found the film unsuitable for the public, reportedly because it promoted superstition.
She also accused the state-run CBFC of "corruption and coercion".
Meanwhile, organisations opposed to Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh have held protests in Punjab and Haryana following reports that the film had been cleared for release.
Ms Samson took over in August after the board's former chief was arrested on charges of corruption.
Messenger of God was cleared by the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal after Ms Samson's panel rejected it.
Ms Samson said the apparent clearance of the film was "a mockery" of her organisation. "My resignation is final," she told the Press Trust of India news agency. On Friday, her colleague Ira Bhaskar also quit over the issue.
India's junior Information and Broadcasting Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore denied any interference, saying the government was "absolutely hands-away" from all decisions of the censor board.
But a CBFC member, Nandini Sardesai, said she was concerned the film was cleared in haste.
[...]
"We all saw the movie. It was the collective decision of eight of us that the movie was not suitable for public viewing," Ms Sardesai told NDTV news channel.
"Usually the Tribunal takes 15 to 30 days to clear a film, but this case was cleared within 24 hours."
The Mid-Day newspaper quoted Ms Sardesai as saying that they had rejected the film because it "promotes superstition and blind faith".
The guru's website mentions Messenger of God as a "movie which aims to spread social awareness in the society".
"While the whole story depicts the truth, yet action, suspense and drama are also being added to make it more interesting," the website says.
Ms Samson said she had resigned because of "interference, coercion and corruption" of the government-appointed members and officers of the board.
[...]
ETA:
Mass resignations hit censor board, as Punjab bans 'MSG' screening
The censor board was Saturday hit by mass resignations a day after board chairperson Leela Samson quit citing coercion and corruption even as Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley hit out at those quitting, calling them "UPA appointees" who had themselves to blame for any corruption.
Amidst the drama, the Punjab government Saturday banned the screening of controversial film "MSG - The Messenger Of God", which features Dera Sacha Sauda sect chief, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, in wake of a central advisory and intelligence reports that it could lead to tension.
The film was cleared by the Certification Appellate Tribunal's (FCAT) despite not getting clearance from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and its revising committee. The film, written, produced and directed by Ram Rahim also has him in the lead role. He has also written and given music for the seven songs in the film, including one called "Love Charger".
It is yet to be officially released.
Saturday saw eight of the CBFC members quitting. Ira Bhaskar, Lora Prabhu, Pankaj Sharma, Rajeev Masand, Sekharbabu Kancherla, Shaji Karun, Shubhra Gupta and T.G. Thyagarajan sent a joint resignation letter to Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore. By evening, two other members Mamang Dai and Arundhati Nag had quit too, Samson told IANS.
[...]
Indian censor Leela Samson resigns over guru film row
India's censor board chief has resigned after reports that a film rejected by her panel has been cleared for release.
Leela Samson quit after an appeals board approved the film Messenger of God, directed by and starring guru Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.
The Ms Samson-led Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) had found the film unsuitable for the public, reportedly because it promoted superstition.
She also accused the state-run CBFC of "corruption and coercion".
Meanwhile, organisations opposed to Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh have held protests in Punjab and Haryana following reports that the film had been cleared for release.
Ms Samson took over in August after the board's former chief was arrested on charges of corruption.
Messenger of God was cleared by the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal after Ms Samson's panel rejected it.
Ms Samson said the apparent clearance of the film was "a mockery" of her organisation. "My resignation is final," she told the Press Trust of India news agency. On Friday, her colleague Ira Bhaskar also quit over the issue.
India's junior Information and Broadcasting Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore denied any interference, saying the government was "absolutely hands-away" from all decisions of the censor board.
But a CBFC member, Nandini Sardesai, said she was concerned the film was cleared in haste.
[...]
"We all saw the movie. It was the collective decision of eight of us that the movie was not suitable for public viewing," Ms Sardesai told NDTV news channel.
"Usually the Tribunal takes 15 to 30 days to clear a film, but this case was cleared within 24 hours."
The Mid-Day newspaper quoted Ms Sardesai as saying that they had rejected the film because it "promotes superstition and blind faith".
The guru's website mentions Messenger of God as a "movie which aims to spread social awareness in the society".
"While the whole story depicts the truth, yet action, suspense and drama are also being added to make it more interesting," the website says.
Ms Samson said she had resigned because of "interference, coercion and corruption" of the government-appointed members and officers of the board.
[...]
ETA:
Mass resignations hit censor board, as Punjab bans 'MSG' screening
The censor board was Saturday hit by mass resignations a day after board chairperson Leela Samson quit citing coercion and corruption even as Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley hit out at those quitting, calling them "UPA appointees" who had themselves to blame for any corruption.
Amidst the drama, the Punjab government Saturday banned the screening of controversial film "MSG - The Messenger Of God", which features Dera Sacha Sauda sect chief, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, in wake of a central advisory and intelligence reports that it could lead to tension.
The film was cleared by the Certification Appellate Tribunal's (FCAT) despite not getting clearance from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and its revising committee. The film, written, produced and directed by Ram Rahim also has him in the lead role. He has also written and given music for the seven songs in the film, including one called "Love Charger".
It is yet to be officially released.
Saturday saw eight of the CBFC members quitting. Ira Bhaskar, Lora Prabhu, Pankaj Sharma, Rajeev Masand, Sekharbabu Kancherla, Shaji Karun, Shubhra Gupta and T.G. Thyagarajan sent a joint resignation letter to Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore. By evening, two other members Mamang Dai and Arundhati Nag had quit too, Samson told IANS.
[...]