Idea of censor board is ridiculous: Mihir Joshi

Amid the fracas over "Udta Punjab", which was granted an 'A' certificate with 13 cuts, Mumbai-based musician and TV anchor Mihir Joshi -- who himself ran into trouble with CBFC last year over his song "Sorry" -- says the idea of a censor board in India is "ridiculous".

In 2015, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) beeped the word "Bombay" from the lyrics of "Sorry" for its TV premiere.

Now, amid the controversy over the Abhishek Chaubey directorial -- which has been in the news ever since it came to light that the CBFC had demanded 89 cuts -- Joshi said the idea that a body of a "few people" can decide "what is right and wrong for me to see is ludicrous".

"I said it then and I'll say it now. The idea of a censor board in a supposedly modern country like India is ridiculous. We can have a certification board for sure. I'm not saying that everything should be seen by everyone," Joshi told IANS.

"If there is material that is sensitive to kids, let them not see it but the idea that a body of a few people can decide what is right and wrong for me to see is ludicrous," he added.

Joshi said that filmmakers and musicians have a responsibility, but artistes' creative freedom shouldn't be taken away in the name of censorship.

"The responsibility of course lies in hands of movie and music makers too, but I think for the most part we have intelligent artistes in our country who are trying to show the country for what it is. It is not cool that they are being told that they can not do that in the name of censorship," he added.

--IANS

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