Feminist movie ‘sex scenes’ spark film censors’ wrath
INDIA’S film censor authority has given the go-ahead to Hindi movie Lipstick Under my Burkha which unpacks the lives of four women from a small town in India.
The controversial movie was initially refused certification as it contained scenes with abusive language and sexual violence.
The award-winning film stars Konkona Sen Sharma and actor Ratna Pathak Shah in lead roles.
The film first premiered at the Tokyo and Mumbai Film Festivals, late last year.
The film won the Spirit of Asia Prize and the Oxfam Award for Best Film on Gender Equality.
According to the appeals board, the film was granted adult certification with voluntary and some additional cuts and deletions.
Censorship of the film in India has been under the spotlight after it received intense criticism from the film industry.
A statement released by the The Film Certification Appellate Tribunal read: “We cannot lose sight that there is a thin line between creative and artistic expression being depicted in a natural sex scene.
“The same can be obliterated if the sexual scenes are continued for a long duration which may not be necessary or integral to the film. Besides, it would then infringe the guidelines requiring such scenes to be kept to the minimum.”
The film’s director, Alankrita Srivastava, recently defended why there should not be a ban on her movie.
She said: “India is a difficult country for women. Violence, gender discrimination and glass ceilings in the workplace, sexual harassment on the streets, dowry, forced marriages and female foeticide are rife.”
Srivastava added: “In a country like this, shouldn’t the voices of women be encouraged and given more space?
“Instead we have a situation where a small film that dares to tell a story from a female point of view is being silenced.”
The movie has received a good reaction on social media sites and people are hoping it will be released in cinemas in this country.