By Hindustan Times
Silk isn't the kind to stick silent. Vidya Balan, who plays South siren Silk Smitha within the Dirty Picture, has lashed out on the Ministry of knowledge and Broadcasting for its decision to scrap the television premiere of the movie last Sunday.
“It defies logic when the similar government body that has honoured a movie with three National Awards, is now calling for a similar film to not be broadcast on national television! What's much more astounding is that the Censor Board, which has cleared the film for television broadcast, is under the aegis of the exact same government body!” she says.
Balan, 34, doesn’t stop at that. “I do hope that better sense prevails and that the film industry isn't again used as a convenient high profile punching bag for anyone trying to establish their high moral credentials.”
Sony, that had bought the tv rights to the controversial and ‘bold’ film for R8crore, was running a countdown to the show at the same time as less as two hours to the primary screening, scheduled at noon. The second one show was lined up for the 8pm slot, but both were apparently scrapped by the I&B ministry just hours before the allotted time despite the fact that the Censor Board had passed it for TV viewing with 59 cuts and a U/A certificate. “Our hands were tied. But “it” will come soon ... with a bang,” tweeted the channel’s business head, Sneha Rajani.
The I&B ministry, on its part, maintains that it’s an ‘11pm’ film and they were forced to do so as there have been over 600 complaints against screening the film at primetime on national television.
It’s double standards, says Bollywood
A national award winning film cannot have a countrywide telecast??? this isn't a sarcasm but plain and easy hypocrisy! If the censorship isn't a last authority then what's? Complicated and blurred lines defeat the core of democracy! (sic): Karan Johar on Twitter
The dirty picture telecast stopped? What’s wrong with these babu’s (sic): Neha Dhupia on Twitter
Stopping dirty picture telecast is a classic example of a cat shutting its eyes and pretending that no-one is watching it. If the I&B ministry sits with today’s kids, they're going to educate the ministers on what’s dirty and what’s not: Ram Gopal Varma on Twitter.
In this country, a minister can watch porn within the parliament but won’t let us watch a 59cut-censored film at home: Kushan Nandy on Twitter
Obviously unfair since adult films was shown before on TV after cuts ... what about all of the junk that gets shown on all of the channels as sensational news, who checks that?: Tusshar Kapoor, actor.
