Holy heavens! Save us from the 'A' certificate!

Home > Visitor Columns
Holy heavens! Save us from the 'A' certificate!

Behindwoods.com isn't responsible for the views expressed by the visitor in this column. The visitor claims that this column is his/her own. If the column infringes any copyrights that you hold, please email us at columns@behindwoods.com.

It was not long that it became a trend of giving 'A' certificate to even clean action films. This is because the censor board believes that violence is not good to watch. This thing has affected several great films in the past, and might affect the films even in the future. The example of the film Rocky Handsome, which I am dearly willing to watch in theatre, is the most recent to describe. Producers righteously claim that it's a clean family action entertainer but the A certificate seems to have limited the audience, whatever the producers say.


Examples in the past include films like Aakrosh (2010). The film was given A certificate for violence though the producers wanted a UA, and they were correct. But the biggest thing of shame came when Aakrosh was given a UA certificate for TV release, with only 5 cuts, out of which 4 were objectionable as deemed by the Censor, and only 1 visual cut, that too a reduction in a violent scene. Then why restrict its audience with an A certificate?


If we hear an example where the A certificate isn't an issue, it's in south India. Telugu films have witnessed the trend of family entertainers getting a certificate. Telugu films like Badrinath, Magadheera, Mirchi, Vikramarkudu and Yevadu are the best examples. Worst case in terms of censor is of Badrinath, which was given A certificate for theatrical release, while its TV version was given UA with almost no cuts at all! Magadheera had the kind of violence that it would have got UA had it released around the time of Baahubali The Beginning. Mirchi is a very clean, family action film with nothing vulgar, obscene or offensive. It deals with joining families and spreading love. Still it got A certificate only for 2 or 3 violent scenes which are shown in a flash. Vikramarkudu got A for theatrical release but got UA for video release with very minimal cuts.


I said A certificate isn't an issue in South India, mainly because the audiences focus on content and not the censor certificate. They go with families to watch A rated films as well! (I have only heard and read this thing)


Example of a film getting an A certificate and its similar dubbed version getting an uncut UA or U isn't new. Telugu film Bezawada was given a certificate for strong gory violence, but its Hindi dubbed version Hero the Action Man got a clean UA certificate with no visual cuts! Similarly, Tamil film Satyam, which was also simultaneously made in Telugu as Salute, got a UA certificate, while Salute got a certificate. Also, Hindi film Zanjeer starring Ram Charan got UA certificate while its Telugu version titled Thoofan got an A...Irony...Irony...All around!


Also, Tamil comedy film Trisha Illana Nayanthara got an A certificate in India, while in UK, it got a 12A rating and a PG - 13 rating in Singapore. What is this all happening?


I was so depressed with the news of Rocky Handsome getting an A certificate because a) I wanted and still want to watch it in theatre b) I have never seen an A certified film in theatre in my entire life c) I wanted to watch this kind of action film on big screen for the first time. I don't like to watch adult films, but Rocky Handsome just doesn't seem to be an adult film. It's an action film for the youth indeed, especially viewers like us.


Still, to clarify, I checked upon various sites: Filmipop showed a UA, Bookmyshow showed a UA, even Google showed UA. No site showed an A. I wish censor board develops a 15+ sort of rating, to avoid action lovers like me suffer.

Prashast Singh
singhprashast2011@gmail.com
Want to publish your column too?
Please send your column to columns@behindwoods.com.
Tags : Censor, Baahubali

FACEBOOK COMMENTS

ABOUT THIS PAGE

This page has information about Holy heavens! Save us from the 'A' certificate!.