All films with “item songs” will get an “Adult” rating as per a recent decision by the Censor Board of Film Certification.
Further, since A-rated visuals are banned from being aired on television, the films, if shown, will be screened without the songs. “The issue of handing ‘A’ certificates to item songs was discussed in the censor board meeting and the chairperson has decided on it,” confirmed Pankaja Thakur, CEO, CBFC, adding that the Delhi gangrape had pushed the board to take such a decision.
According to sources, the censor board had been feeling the pressure after it faced tremendous flak for the Hindi film industry’s objectionable portrayal of women and offensive lyrics. “The board decided that some serious measures needed to be put in place before the public anger boiled over. Hence this decision was made with immediate effect.”
Brijmohan Sharma, a former member of the censor board, pointed out that the definition of item songs has not been formulated yet and ambiguity will result in misuse by filmmakers. “The censor board has decided to give an ‘A’ rating to all item songs. But this does not mean that obscenity will disappear from TVs,” he said, adding, “The censor board has not defined what qualifies to be an item song. The Cinematograph Act needs to be amended because the censor board is taking cover under this act and spreading obscenity (sic).” When poet and lyricist Javed Akhtar was asked what he thought of the move, he said, “I don’t know the definition of ‘item songs.’”