Hyderabad: While debate rages on the 94 cuts prescribed by the Censor Board for the film Udta Punjab, the regional censor board has been exhibiting a far balanced approach while giving cuts to Tollywood films.
The official figures of CBFC Regional Censor Board revealed that this year, so far 14 ‘U’ (unrestricted category) films without cuts have released as against 21 ‘U’ films with cuts.
The Board asked for cuts to 41 films in the “UA” (Unrestricted with adult supervision for children) category while 11 films released without cuts in the same category. The maximum number of cuts in the history of Tollywood are 45 in case of “sleaze movies” specially made for the purpose of titillating the audience.
A member of the regional censor board said, “Cuts are given to a film as per the guidelines of CBFC. They are guidelines, not rules. The committee of censor board members, after watching the film, immediately deliberates and gives cuts and certifies the film. Cuts are for both dialogues and scenes. Cuts are given in case of vulgar, double-meaning dialogues and for those deemed to be insulting to certain communities, and for obscenity. Frontal nudity is a strict no.”
The censor board member said films like Soggadi Sobhanam had got many cuts due to obscenity. “The film, directed and produced by Narayana Murthy, had scenes and dialogues that instigated armed revolution against the state. It was given many cuts.”
Films that are in contempt of court and that are against national symbols get cuts.
According to the guidelines, films that are un-scientific shall be censored.
“But in that case scenes of Sumos blowing up in the air in all Balakrishna films should not be allowed. It is the same for religious and fiction films. But this is not practical. So we have to interpret as per the situation,” the member said.
