Filmmaker and economist Suman Ghosh has refused to budge from his stand and mute four words in the documentary film which he has made, The Argumentative Indian on Amartya Sen, as suggested by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

COMMERCIAL BREAK
SCROLL TO CONTINUE READING

Talking to DNA he said that he had wanted the most number of people to watch the documentary and thanks to the censor board the documentary had got all the publicity. “There is a process of contesting it. Since I was not expecting this I had not explored ways to deal with it. Now I will take legal help,” he said and added, “I always have the option to release it online which will reach the film to people across the world in matter of minutes. How can that be stopped?”

He also said that the documentary was first made in 2002. “I had released it then but now I have put more inputs in 2017, edited it and made it into a comprehensive documentary on the Nobel laureate. “The film is now of one hour and was due to be released on July 14. It will be delayed inevitably. I have been asked to mute four words – Gujarat, cow, Hindu and Hindutva – but let alone the four words I will not even mute even one word. In the last two years not only in films but on several issues the freedom of expression had been curbed. The documentary is on the work and views of Sen. In the current scenario it is very topical and ironically a documentary on Sen himself is being curbed. Given the censor board’s suggestions, I am convinced now that I am doing the right thing,” he said.  

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had also expressed her support for Sen on Twitter. ‘Every single voice of the opposition is being muzzled. Now, Dr Amartya Sen. If somebody of his stature cannot express himself freely, what hope does the common citizen have’, she tweeted.

Actors turned BJP Rajya Sabha MPs – Roopa Ganguly and George Baker – however, thought otherwise.

Talking to DNA they maintained that it is being done to garner publicity. “I don't understand why a person like Amartya Sen keep on referring to these. Can’t we not leave these out? India is a Hindu country but we all have the right to preach, practice and propagate the religion of our choice. Why do we have to rake up religious sentiments for making headlines? Let’s not create a communal tension with our comments,” Baker said.

Ganguly too was of similar views. “He is talking about only four words. Tell us the full sentences where those four words were. Only then will we know why those have been asked to be beeped out. I think it is being done to get publicity and nothing else,” she said.