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| Edited By: Chaya Unnikrishnan |Source: DNA |Updated: Nov 17, 2017, 06:15 AM IST
A woman from a less-privileged background earning her livelihood by modelling nude for an art school.
Sujoy Ghosh, who was the chairman of the 48th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2017 Indian Panorama section, resigned on Tuesday in protest against the dropping of two films — S Durga (Malayalam) directed by Sanal Kumar Sasidharan and Nude (Marathi) by Ravi Jadhav. Writer Apurva Asrani, who was on the jury, followed suit. Reason: Both the films were rejected by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting despite being selected by the jury constituted as per the Indian Panorama regulations. Soon after that, Vivek Agnihotri, convenor of IFFI, said in an interview that Nude was dropped because it came with a rider from the chairperson that it was incomplete. Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said, “Even if it is selected by the jury, if it is not completed and unless it gets a certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification, unless the entire procedure is complete and it is ready, it cannot be screened.”
Known for taking up bold subjects and dealing with them sensitively, National Award winning director Ravi Jadhav in his decade-long career has never been in the eye of a controversy despite his risque topics. But for the first time his upcoming film Nude finds itself in a soup thanks to it being dropped from the International Film Festival Of India that is to be held in Goa from November 20. Strangely, it has nothing to do with the content! The reasons for it being dropped range from it being incomplete to the title to not having a censor certificate. We spoke to Ravi to understand how a film that was said to be in consideration as the opening for the Panorama section got dropped...
Let me tell you that Vivek Agnihotri and others are giving funny reasons. Firstly, you don’t need a censor certificate at all for IFFI. When you enter your film, it is clearly written that the film has to be complete before July 31 or it has to be censored. There is an either/or. However, since the last two years censor is not applicable for the entry. Normally, once they select a film, they communicate to the producer one month before that they can get it censored, as the film is selected. There was no such communication.
Four of my earlier films were selected for IFFI. So, I know exactly how to send a film. I don’t know if any of Vivek Agnihotri’s films have been selected for IFFI or not. And if it has been he should show it to me first! Since I have done it earlier, according to me, I had sent my film at least 99 per cent complete. The one per cent that is remaining is basically about the end-scroll that is normally done after the media partners come on board. That has nothing to do with the film. We get a letter from IFFI — at least that’s what used to happen in the last four years — stating your film has been selected and to send the complete movie. If you don’t send, then it gets rejected. Sometimes if there’s some content they feel that is objectionable they tell us to get it censored and give a month’s time, which is more than enough. But that also did not happen this time. There was no letter, no communication at all. The jury saying the film was incomplete doesn’t make sense. I have already won five National Awards so I know exactly know how it has to be sent. Also, only if it’s a complete film, will the jury be able to experience it the way it should. The fact that they were considering it as the opening film means it was complete. Even now they can release it in IFFI.
I don’t think there can be an objection to the title because the teaser that I released two days ago on social media has been censored one month ago, and it already had the title on it. I think there has been a miscommunication and now they are giving any reason. But I don’t know what exactly has happened.
I have studied in an art school. And there are nude models, who are an important aspect of our studies because from them, we learn about anatomy — it is called body painting. It is known as nude art across the world. I was always curious to know how they lead their lives.
Also, in today’s world when a woman walks out fully- clothed, too, some men look at them in a bad way, but in the art school, even when a woman sits nude before them, they don’t look at her wrongly. If everybody’s gaze became like an artist’s, it would be so good. That was the idea. I did not make the film to create controversy, I don’t want it. I haven’t done that before either. I only feel they should see it for its merit and not for the controversy. My earlier films, whether it was Natrang, Balak Palak, or Bal Gandharva, they would have become controversial, but they didn’t. Even my last film Mitwaa, which was about lesbianism would have been controversial, instead, it won the National Award.
I am thinking about it and if necessary, I will go. The list was announced just 10 days ago. Festival is starting on the 20th and there is a Saturday-Sunday in between. I don’t think anything will come out of it. My wish is that somebody sees the film. IFFI has decided whatever it wants. Now, I only want people to watch the film on its merit and I plan to release it in the next two-three months.
