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Govt wants Emergency cuts in film on JP, blocks screening

Govt wants Emergency cuts in film on JP, blocks screening

Author: Express News Service
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: October 13, 2004

Even as the nation observed Jai Prakash Narayan's birth anniversary on Sunday, Doordarshan chose to air the' 70s blockbuster Mehbooba on prime time instead of a bioepic on the leader-Lok Nayak Jai Prakash by noted filmmaker Prakash Jha.

The film deals with JP and the Emergency. "We have problems with the film. It cannot be aired in its present form," said K S Sarma, CEO of Prasar Bharati Corporation.
Noting that the "film was commissioned by the Ministry of Culture for Rs 90 lakh", Sarma said Jaipal Reddy, the Minister of Culture as well as Information and Broadcasting, had been informed too.

According to Sarma, Jha has been informed of the changes-12 in all-that need to be made in the film. The government reportedly wants the parts on JP's stay in jail and his subsequent release to be pruned.

However, the filmmaker claimed that he had not received any formal communication from Prasar Bharati. "All I have been told is that the film needs to be shortened a bit," said Jha.

While maintaining that his film does not criticise the Congress, Jha added that it does deal with the Emergency as part of JP's life. "That is a factual position and has been dealt with accordingly," he said. Sources said the segments related to the Emergency are being reviewed. Stating that the Ministry of Culture had commissioned him to make the film about a year back, Jha said: "It was meant to be telecast last year but I could not finish the film as I had to complete some other project."

While Jha finally submitted the film on March 31 this year, he said he was not aware of its telecast schedule. The two hour bio-epic was meant to be a 13-episode serial, but later became a film.

Expectedly, there has been some backlash from political circles, some from within the UPA itself. "A great leader has been wronged. Bahut galat hua hai. I will speak to the I&B Minister about the injustice meted out to a great leader," said Union Rural Development Raghuvansh Prasad Singh.

Stating that it was an insult to JP's memory, former Defence Minister George Fernandes said: "To pretend the Emergency did not happen is to tamper with history."
And in a letter to Reddy, former I&B Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad wrote: "I understand that the portrayal of his role on the resistance against the Emergency has become the reason for not permitting the telecast. The attachment to the ideals of JP transcends party affiliation. May I remind you that as I&B Minister, I had directed the publication of a book on late CPM leader E M S Namboodripad under the "Makers of Modern India" series. It is high time the contribution of eminent Indians was viewed objectively for posterity, regardless of the political divide."

UP Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav has gone a step forward, stating that his government would show the film even if the Centre banned it. "The Centre was reluctant to show this film as it would project the real face of the Congress by showing the atrocities its government committed on the common man during Emergency."
 


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