Cut The Fuss Not The Movie !
Below is a write-up by Manasi Raje on the drama of film censorship. She gives her perspective as a newbie writer who wishes to someday make offbeat and stark films. Manasi is currently working in the Advertising industry as an Assistant Director. She is also working on her first film which is about the alternate life of a drug addict.
Our Censor Board has done it again. Their latest target is the movie that has caught eyeballs since Ekta Kapoor decided to make it, namely “LOVE SEX AUR DHOKHA’. Although the title made the cut, a crucial scene didn’t. This situation is not really a new concept in India. We have witnessed various intelligent and offbeat movies that have borne the “censor” brunt.
The “LSD” controversy has forced us to think about the state of intelligent and unique films in India. Why is it that an organization is allowed to take decisions on what kind of movies we get to watch? Any democratic government gives their citizens the freedom of speech and expression. By this rule, a director has the freedom to create content (without being vulgar or hurting others sentiments) and as audience we have the right to watch it. The Censor Board of India claims that they are only a licensing authority, so why is it that they don’t stop at that? I accept that one cannot show an all out sex scene or attack religions etc. but if a movie is made aesthetically with skin show, then why can’t it be shown with a prior disclaimer.
What is more annoying is that the audience has zero say in what is to be screened. Given a choice I would have liked to watch the movie “WATER”, which never was allowed to be screened or even shot in India. And hypocritical as some organizations are, we have conveniently claimed it as an “Indian” film only after it won a few international awards. Where was the pride when the “censors” viewed the movie?
As a writer, I’m worried about the creative limitations I will have to face when I actually do have the means to make a film. While progress is supposed to be upward, the Indian media is actually regressing. We starve ourselves and go on protest marches if a character dies in a popular soap opera, but we care a damn if a smart and gutsy movie is not shown to us. ? Love, Sex aur Dhokha is a bold film which proves the directors guts to make such a film for the Indian market, and as audience we deserve to see such films as they are made. This battle between censor board and content will remain as long as the public takes a firm stand. As the audience what do we want? Do we want to be pacified with the usual song-dance routines or do we want the freedom to have a varied and experimental content? It’s high time we take a stand or before you know it we will be going back to showing two flowers to depict a kiss.
Going To Live In A New City, It’s All About The Food – Interview With Googler Yash Godbole
Yash Godbole (Google Boy)
Below is an interview of Yash Godbole who works with Google and shifted to Hyderabad from his Home Town Mumbai. He has been living with his work friends over the past few years and in this interview we ask him how he copes with his life in a different city…
Q: What is the biggest fuss with shifting to a new city?
The biggest fuss with shifting to a new city is hunting for that perfect economical place to eat, something that can tickle my taste-buds.
Q: What’s the best thing you learned out of your experience of living alone/away from home?
Maggi is God-sent!
Q: Home cooked food or take aways, which do you prefer?
Takeaways… KFC and Dominoes have kept me alive: P
Q: Giving imagination a wild run what dish do you think you would be if you were one?
Stuffed deep-fried Potato… that’s what happened to me after coming here!
Q: In jest, Give one tight slap to whom and why?
Kunal Vijayakar from The Foodie on Times Now… for consuming everything I can only think of, staying alone.
Cut The Fuss Interviews: Writer and Journalist – Saket Ambarkhane
Saket Ambarkhane
M.A. in International Studies (University of Birmingham, U.K.)
Q: What are the three main issues you faced while living abroad?
- Breaking the ice: I was living in the UK as a student last year. I think, as a student, the main issue was to break the metaphorical ice or make friends with the students of other nationalities especially the local ones. There were very few British students in my class and the few who were there would flock together in one group. It took a while to get to know them as they would rarely interact with others as opposed to the rest of international students. As a foreign student, I was keen to know more about the life of a local student, but I got to know that towards the end of my course.
- Food: While the UK might boast of a lot of Indian/Bangladeshi restaurants, with Birmingham even inventing a new dish called ‘Indian Balti and Poppadum’; but the dining options outside were limited and expensive. One could always pop into a Subway or Mc Donalds or Pizza Hut but I could not live off those forever. Hence I had to learn to cook. Also, since I am a vegetarian, my trip to Europe was an absolute buzz kill. I had to survive on tossed salads and freshly squeezed orange juice (or so the carton said).
- Cold: The thought of the winter of 2008 still sends cold shivers down my already frozen spine. It was the coldest winter in the UK over the past eight years and the roads were frozen and snowed down for weeks. I narrowly escaped slipping and falling off a steep road which was covered with a thick layer of ice.
Q: What’s the best thing you learned out of your experience of living alone/away from home?
Well, that would have to be cooking. If you are dazed by this answer, don’t be. In India, I could not distinguish between the salt jar and the sugar jar but since UK had limited options with Indian food, I had to get creative. Thanks to my experience I learnt to cook a wholesome Indian meal. Initially, my creations tanked, but later with more experience, they became the life of all house parties.
PS: This is not an advertisement for a well bred house husband.
Q: If you had to give one advice in terms of cutting the fuss with studies what would it be?
I think one needs to be innovative with studies. Make it more interesting, like making games out of boring topics like dates and events or making a song out of complex mathematical formulae, trying to explain complex concepts to others, making power point presentations of the most difficult topic and presenting it to friends and so on.
Q: Giving imagination a wild run what dish do you think you would be if you were one?
If I was dish, then it has to be pakodas. I believe that life should be full of spice and pakodas are spicy and so much more. They are simple to cook street food and a snack time munching item. One can get creative with pakodas, that is, eat it with a pav and it tastes like vada pav, fry it stuffed in a bread slice and it becomes bread pakoda. I like to believe that I am simple and easy going like pakodas. PS: My nose also looks like a pakoda.
Q: In jest, Give one tight slap to whom and why?
Give one tight slap to this man in my dreams who looks just like me only with the horns of a devil and keeps telling me that this interview is the worst ever written piece of work by anyone!
We thank Saket for taking time out for this interview and giving his views. Hope you guys enjoyed it as well.