FILMMAKERS SLAM THE NOC BUSINESS

Films on major political leaders face the hurdle of getting permission. Filmmakers question this rule

Bollywood loves a good biopic, and they’re usually a success at the box-office. But when the subject of the biopic is a famous politician, the films face a hurdle.

Recently, actor Anupam Kher shared the poster of his upcoming film, The Accidental Prime Minister, a biopic on former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, based on a book by journalist Sanjaya Baru. The filmmakers have been asked by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to get a no-objection certificate from Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi, and all other real-life characters depicted in the film.

When we contacted Kher, who plays Manmohan Singh in the film, he said, “I’m under a contract with the producer to not to talk about the film.”

Last month, a film titled The Insignificant Man, based on the life of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, faced a similar situation — filmmakers Khushboo Ranka and Vinay Shukla were asked to get NOCs from Kejriwal, PM Narendra Modi and former CM Sheila Dixit. “It’s a ridiculous demand. Our film is a journalistic documentary,” Shukla was quoted as saying. The film has been to several international film festivals already.

Director Alankrita Shrivastava, whose film Lipstick Under My Burkha faced the CBFC axe before being cleared by a parallel forum, says, “These biopics on political figures would’ve used public footage from public rallies. So I don’t know where this NOC comes in.”

The film Modi Ka Gaon, which featured a character referring to PM Narendra Modi, was asked to get an NOC from the Prime Minister’s Office and Election Commission. The film is still stuck; the makers plan to go to the revising committee now. Director Tushar Goel says, “For biopics on sports personalities or actors, it’s easy to get their permission and [filmmakers] buy the rights. But when it’s a political leader in a biopic, the Board should understand that it’s not child’s play to obtain NOCs.”

Trade analyst Amod Mehra feels the CBFC is doing its job. “If you don’t have the right to make a film on a person’s life, the Board will ask you to get the permission,” he says. “A filmmaker might be depicting a view that’s harmful to the [famous] person, so [the Board] is following the rules.”

PHOTO: AMAL KS/HT