The Regional Censor Board in Bengaluru has rejected an anti-superstition film deeming it ‘sensitive towards religion and communities’ and one that has the potential to cause social tension.
Bangalore Mirror reported that the film 3 Bittavaru Oorige Doddavaru is based on the teachings of the Vachanas, which attacked the ritualistic aspects of popular religion.
Vachanas are couplets written by over 200 ‘sharanas’ or adherents of the Basava tradition IN 11-12th century. The writings highlight equality for woman, disregard rituals and superstition in the pursuit of personal realisation of God.
The censor board in its justification for denying permission said that the theme of the film was very sensitive towards religion and communities. “The indirect message given by it may be misunderstood and can cause social discord. Hence, it is refused the certificate.”
According to the film’s writer and debutant director Basavaraj Koppal it is purely based on the Vachanas of the `sharanas'.
“It talks about the need to use scientific reasoning to face problems rather than go by blind beliefs and superstition.”
The Kannada-film's producer, Devaraj Maddi, wrote to the Censor Board and the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC), saying that the refusal of certificate is an insult to Basavanna, Dr Ambedkar and Swami Vivekananda as the film is based on what they stood for.
“It is a satire. We are ready to cut any scene the Censor deems unfit.But altogether denying it a certificate has shocked us,” he said.
According the director said that the film revolves around a swamiji who trashed superstition and blind beliefs by quoting sayings of Vachanas on a TV show. Rival swamijis start a campaign against him, however he comes out successful against the others in a live TV debate, reported BM.
The next step for the film would be to go to a revising committee. If the committee too denies certificate , they will have to approach the censor tribunal.
One of the scenes that was objected to by one of the members of the committee had to do with a person’s futile attempt to call out for God.
“Many films have shown scenes where a devotee bangs his head on a rock and God appears before him or her, pleased with the person's devotion. In our film, we show that when a person continues to bang his head on a rock, God does not appear but the person dies,” said Basavaraj.
This is an aggregated report from Bangalore Mirror