Govt puts strict controls on adult content

The government's definition of adult programming seems to be quite at variance with the commonly held one. How? Well, read on.

Broadcasters and viewers looking forward to adult content on television, which the government proposes to allow between 11 pm and 4 am, may be in for disappointment. The draft of the self-regulation guidelines for broadcasting promises to leave much of the content to imagination.

Theme 2 of the draft, covering sex, obscenity and nudity, says the audio-visual presentation of any content, even under the adult category, must not show:

Prolonged or frequent use of highly coarse language or dialogues with explicit sexual connotations.

Complete nudity with full exposure of sexual organs or full female breast(s).

Prolonged or passionate kissing on the lips or fondling of female breasts or human or animal sexual organs.

Prolonged or frequent depiction of crude or indiscreet gestures or movements or sounds, suggestive of sexual activity.

Explicit images of sexual activity or sexual perversions or violence including rape, molestation, etc.

Pornography

Even the depiction of violence is sought to be limited. The guidelines say that while the overall theme, storyline and characterisation may justify one or more specific scenes of crime or violence, the subject-matter and treatment of such content under all categories should not, among other things, present violence as glamorous or as an acceptable solution to human conflict.

However, the draft seeks to make a break with Article 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), a 144-year-old law, which declares anal and non-procreative sex "against the order of nature" and a crime even if undertaken in private by consenting adults.

Although, the draft does appear to count homosexuality among "perverted or socially unacceptable practices", it is willing to allow its depiction under the adult category.

The code for self-regulation is the first move towards establishing a system in the broadcasting industry, which has of late seen bans imposed on certain channels for showing objectionable content.

It could be a part of the new Broadcast Regulation Bill, that is likely to be introduced in Parliament during the monsoon session. It is being circulated among industry players, seeking their comments.

It puts programmes into nine categories and prescribes the do's and don'ts for each.

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MORAL STAND

Prolonged or frequent use of coarse language

Complete nudity

Passionate kissing

Indiscreet gestures, sounds suggestive of sexual activity

Sexual perversion