When it involves using animals in films, it seems like Indian filmmakers are in for even tougher times ahead.
A letter from animal activist Maneka Gandhi to the Minister Of knowledge & Broadcasting Ms Ambika Soni has induce a flurry of activity in official quarters of the government
The letter dated 22 March 2012 from Mrs Gandhi to Ms Soni clearly alleges that Bollywood film producers are "creating a fool" of the Animal Welfare Board Of India (AWBI) and the censor board.
In the letter Maneka Gandhi says, "They (the producers) send a script but won't mention animal activity in India or will give wrong activity. Then when the film is shot they send the CD for approval to the AWBI without the schemes involving animals in it. The AWBI gives the NOC (No Objection Certificate) at the basis of the CD. The producer then reinstates the scenes and goes to the censor board with the NOC. These scenes tend to be very violent. The censor board, in preference to questioning these scenes which can be blatantly cruel, simply take it without any consideration that they've an NOC and pass the film."
The letter goes directly to give the instance of Sajid Nadiadwala's Housefull 2 where Akshay Kumar is seen wrestling crocodiles and a python.
Mrs Gandhi also accuses some regional officers of the CBFC of "blatantly ignoring the principles". She cites the instance of the Tamil film Adukulam where the rooster fights that were the film's mainstay had not been approved of by the AWBI.
The letter has triggered a flurry of discussion throughout the censor board. A source from the censor board says there are radical changes at the anvil in regards to the depiction of animals in Hindi films.
Says our source, "IT'S GOING TO now not be easy for filmmakers to circumvent rules regarding animals. As an example Nadiadwala shot the scenes with pythons and crocodiles outside India. That exempted the scenes with the animals from scrutiny and rectification by the AWBI and CBFC. The censor board is within the strategy of covering such loopholes."
