Government intervention in resolving Censor Board and FTII rows show positive results

Ever since the centre has decided to intervene in the appointments at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) and the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), it looks like the allegations of political bias that were faced last year would finally be controlled.

Gajendra Chauhan, the chairman of FTII, has not been given the chair of the head of the institute's Academic Council, made for taking important decisions. Not only this, the centre has also asked the newly appointed Censor Board revamp committee to work not from CBFC but either from Films Division or National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) both of which are headquartered in Mumbai.

Officials also said that the decision has been taken to ensure that the panel has adequate time and space to work on its report, and also that CBFC members, which have in the past been involved in controversies, are kept away from the processes.

There is a note on the website of NFDC, which explains the role of the revamp committee, headed by filmmaker Shyam Benegal and including filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, advertising professional Piyush Pandey and film critic Bhawana Somaaya.

As of now, the panel is busy collecting inputs from artists in the film industry and NGOs on films. Benegal said that these inputs will be incorporated in the suggestions that would be presented to the government in the first week of March.

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