Fly High Punjab

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I was unaware of Punjab's drug menace until Udta Punjab controversy hits the news. I know I'm living under a rock for sometime now. 

The latest study says, more than 75% youth in Punjab is hooked to dangerous drugs like heroin, cocaine, poppy husk, and many other synthetic drugs. Out of these 75% addicts, about 30% are HIV-positive people. According to the latest report by the Narcotics Control Bureau, Punjab alone has registered 50% of the total drug-related cases in the country.

De-addiction centers are few in numbers and the centers that run are shortage of staff like psychiatrist and counselors. Drugs are accessible in medical stores without prescriptions. Children as young as 10-12 are seemed to be involved in peddling. And the abusers are of 15-35 years of age. Steady supply of drugs from across the border could also be one of the reasons.

If a film makes you aware of the grave problem and inspire someone not to fall prey to this menace what is wrong in it? Losing youths to drugs is not insult to the state, but showing the reality in a creative way is insulting? I really admire the whole team of Udta Punjab to make that effort. How the film will score? That is up to the audience to decide and the real movie admirer always wants the uncut version. That brings me to another moot point here. 

The "Udta Punjab" faced 89 cuts when it went to censor board including removal of name Punjab, other cities, term like elections to name a few. However, the high court cleared the film with a single cut and a revised disclaimer. The court reprimanded Nihalani as "Your job is to certify not censor." He has been condemned by film personalities as they showed solidarity with the Udta team.

When this controversy broke out, I was curious to know who Pahlaj Nihalani is? Voila! He is not a stranger at all. I have seen a few of movies produced by him. And among them, I enjoyed 'Aankhen' starring Govinda and Chunki Pande the most. The other movie is 'Andaaz' starring Anil Kapoor, Juhi Chawla, and Karishma Kapoor. Why I had to mention this movie because it has two suggestive songs, meaning of which I was totally unaware as a kid. One is "Khada Hai, Khada Hai, Khada Hai, where Anil Kapoor lewdly gestures to his newlywed wife Juhi chawla. Another is "Mein Maal Gaadi Mujhe Dhakka Laga (same wife urging the husband). The songs were not melodious, hence never caught my attention. I liked another song "Dil Ka Panchi Bole" much better, which is again notorious. It is good that my poor parents do not understand Hindi fluently, otherwise we will be chastised endlessly. My childhood survived despite double entendre and obscene choreography thrust upon us, so my generation of 90s.

The same Nihalani is Chief of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) now and is on a mission to sanitize the films to save our young and gullible generation. He has two infamous videos in his kitties. One is 'Har Har Modi Ghar Ghar Modi' before 2014 elections and another 'Mera Desh Mahan' that played during interval of "Prem Ratan Dhan Payo" a movie which has to let go the word Rakhail/mistress on Censor Board's instruction.  All in all he bagged the coveted post as the chairman of CBFC in 2015. Hypocrisy will be too lighter a word for people like him. I would rather prefer calling Ass Lickers (pardon my language).

We, the audience who spend their hard-earned money will decide what to watch and what not to. According to me the whole concept of censoring the movie is archaic. Yes, they can have a statutory warning as a protocol. It should be just certification like U, A, or U/A. If a movie has content like nudity, violence, sex, it has to be certified as A, but no cuts. No self-respecting adult should be told what must be watched and no talented filmmaker should be restricted to curb his vision, which ultimately kills the creativity.

And there is no such thing as bad publicity and I hope "Udta Punjap" reap the benefit of controversy.