With more than 1000 films being released every year, in India
censorship of films has not only been a debate in the legal
fraternity but also a topic of discussion at the family dinner
table. The recent delay and cuts in the movie "Padmavati"
is just one of the many examples of censorship in India. The
current trend of CBFC of cutting scenes and banning of movies has
raised various questions in people's mind which need
clarification.
What is the need for Censorship of a film?
In 1970, a Supreme Court judge in K. A. Abbas v. The Union
of India & Anr, recognized the universal treatment of
motion pictures different from that of other forms of art and
expression. He further insisted that it has a deep impact on
adolescent children more than that on mature women and men. The
need of censorship thus arises from the prolonged effect that a
motion picture has on an individual that doesn't occur in a
painting, book or play.
