Indian Censorship of Superman’s Kiss: What It Says About CBFC Guidelines
Indian Censorship of Superman’s Kiss: What It Says About CBFC Guidelines
Indian Censorship of Superman’s Kiss: What It Says About CBFC Guidelines
The new Superman movie has thrilled fans, but censorship of a kissing scene has stirred debate. Explore the reactions and implications of CBFC's decision.
The Forbidden Kissing Scene
The new Superman movie hit theatres July 11 and the hype was real. I thoroughly enjoyed the film and from what I could tell so did a lot of people. Except… there was one issue. And it’s not the director’s or the studio’s fault. Its India’s fault… it’s the CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification).
The issue I am talking about is the censorship of a… kissing scene. Yep. Superman kissing Lois Lane for more than 2 seconds, a scene that was in the trailer was deemed inappropriate for a U/A rated film. This happened twice in the film on top of which a small piece of action was removed because of a middle finger… Again, this was rated U/A meaning people over 12 could watch this with parental guidance. So… why?
What Does the CBFC Actually Do?
To get further context, what does the CBFC do? Well, pretty simple. Back in 1952, India set up the CBFC to certify films and give them a rating U, U/A, and A. Depending on the content of the film, it would be granted the appropriate rating, and depending on certain scenes, they could also censor certain parts if they were deemed to be sexually explicit, vulgar or suggestive.
However, over the years, and especially since 2014, the choice of censorship has been very selective. In fact since Modi took over government, he has added an amendment called the Cinematograph Amendment Bill; OTT rules; IT Rules 2021, which grant the government power to review already certified films and demand OTT regulation.
Selective Cuts and Political Sensitivities
More recent examples of this misuse of censorship include the Malayalam film Empuraan which featured a depiction of the 2002 Gujarat Riots and the portrayal of a fictional Hindutva leader. While the film initially released without any cuts, after the opening weekend, it was immediately altered and cut to fit the “agenda”.
The issue isn’t necessarily the censorship. There are films that are overly violent and suggestive that require censorship. The issue lies in the consistency of how they censor a film and once we enter politics, that takes a whole new approach. But, just simple things like kissing being censored makes you wonder what the CBFC are up to.
