UK Oscar entry 'Santosh' in stalemate with Indian censors, release uncertain
New Delhi, Mar 27 (PTI): Globally acclaimed Hindi film "Santosh", Britain's official entry at the Oscars and one of the most talked about titles last year, may not make it to Indian theatres following hurdles in its censor certification.
Though there was no official comment from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), a member termed it "a classic case of gross disagreement" between the producers and the board.
"They are unrelenting. They want zero modifications, and CBFC wants the modifications. They went to the revising committee for the second time, made more modifications, and lost their January release date... there has to be a middle ground," the member told PTI on condition of anonymity.
"Santosh", directed by British Indian filmmaker Sandhya Suri, known for documentaries such as "I For India" and "Around India with a Movie Camera",
is a police procedural thriller set in north India. The film, starring Shahana Goswami and Sunita Rajwar, was initially set for an India release on January 10.
A co-production between United Kingdom, Germany and France, it revolves around a widow who gets her late husband's job of a police constable. She and her senior inspector are soon sucked into a high profile investigation into the rape and murder of a Dalit teenager.
"Santosh" premiered in the Un Certain Regard category at the Cannes Film Festival in May last year. In India, it was showcased at the Mumbai MAMI film festival and the Dharamshala International Film Festival.
It was named UK's official Oscar entry last year but failed to make it to the final five. The film's distribution in India is being handled by PVR Inox Pictures.
In an interview with The Guardian newspaper, Suri said the censor board in India demanded radical cuts so lengthy and wide-ranging that they would be impossible to implement. She said the list of cuts included several pages and including concerns about themes relating to police conduct.
“It was very important to me that the film is released in India so I did try to figure out if there was a way to make it work,” said Suri.
“But in the end it was just too difficult to make those cuts and have a film that still made sense, let alone stayed true to its vision,” she told the newspaper.
Goswami, who plays the lead role in the movie, said she never thought it would run into a problem.
"It is disheartening... The changes are not something that we feel comfortable to make because it would alter the film. I think that's just a decision that's got made by elimination... it's nobody's desire to not have the film come out here. But at this point, that's kind of where it stands. I do feel sad about it," Goswami told PTI.
"Santosh", she said, does not target any particular person or a group but presents the reality of society.
"There's no reason why this film should create any difficulty," she said.
CBFC member, filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri, has come out in support of the movie.
"I don’t know about the cut list. I’m against banning any kind of creative work. My films have been cancelled," the director, known for controversial movies such "The Tashkent Files" and "The Kashmir Files", told PTI.
He said "Santosh" is a highly-acclaimed film and he is looking forward to watching it.
"It is a British entry to Oscar. I’ve no idea why it has been censored. It should be released in India. I’m not aware of the technicalities (of this film). We should be welcoming these films. CBFC has no mandate to ban anything; they are not a law-making authority, but they can make suggestions," Agnihotri added.
In an earlier interview with PTI, Suri had said the film's release in India is of "supreme importance" to her.
"It just ended up that I made a film on the Indian police. Actually, it is a very accessible film and the actors are so great. I had an amazing run in the cinemas in France. I did not make this film for viewers only outside of India... There are things which an Indian audience will definitely pick up that others might not," she said in October last year.
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Over 350 illegal religious structures removed along Nepal border
Lucknow, May 11 (PTI): The Uttar Pradesh government on Sunday said that more than 350 unauthorised religious sites, including madrasas, mosques, mazars and Eidgahs, have been identified and subjected to sealing or demolition in recent days, an official statement issued here said.
Acting on Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's clear directive that no religious encroachment will be tolerated, the administration in districts such as Pilibhit, Shravasti, Balrampur, Bahraich, Siddharthnagar and Maharajganj has launched a sweeping campaign, it said.
The authorities have systematically identified illegal structures and taken strict action, continuing operations even on Sunday.
The chief minister has made it clear that encroachment in the name of any religion will not be allowed and all violators, especially those running unrecognised religious institutions, will face legal consequences, the statement said.
On May 10 and 11, 104 madrasas, one mosque, five mazars and two Eidgahs built illegally on public and private land were identified in Shravasti. All were issued notices and sealed, it said.
One illegal madrasa on public land was demolished and two unrecognized madrasas on private land were sealed, the statement added.
In Bahraich, officials identified 13 madrasas, eight mosques, two mazars and one Eidgah illegally constructed on government land.
After issuing notices, five were sealed and 11 were demolished, including eight madrasas, two mosques and one mazar, the statement said.
In Siddharthnagar, the authorities identified four mosques and 18 madrasas and one more madrasa for illegal construction. Notices were issued to these structures. Five madrasas were sealed and nine were demolished. In total, action was taken against 23 illegal structures in the district, it said.
In Maharajganj’s Nautanwa tehsil, Parsamalik village, an unrecognized madrasa operating on Maktab land was shut down based on a report submitted by the District Minority Welfare Officer.
The building’s keys were handed over to the local police station in-charge. So far, 29 madrasas and five mazars constructed through encroachment on public and private land have been demolished in the district.
In past two days in Lakhimpur Kheri, two mosques, one Eidgah on public land along with eight madrasas on private land were found to be illegally constructed.
Of the 13 structures identified, one was served a notice, nine were sealed and three have been demolished so far, the statement said.
The district authorities in Pilibhit have identified an illegal mosque built on public land in Bharatpur village, covering an area of 0.0310 hectares.
According to the district magistrate, a notice has been issued to the parties involved, seeking a response within 15 days. Action against the illegal construction will be taken after the notice period ends, it said.
On Sunday, an under-construction madrasa on public land in Virpur Semra village, Tulsipur tehsil, was demolished in Balrampur. So far, 30 madrasas, 10 mazars and one Eidgah have been demolished in the district.
Ten of them were built illegally on public land, while 20 were constructed without authorization on private land, the statement said.
