The Indian government has once again emphasized its concern about the presence of vulgar and abusive language in the content on OTT streaming platforms. Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Anurag Thakur, addressed this issue during a session in Parliament. Thakur stated that while the government prefers self-regulation by the streaming services, they have communicated their stance to major OTT platforms in a recent meeting.
And what was the stance? The platforms will have to send their scripts to a government body before the series/film starts shooting.
This is not the first time Thakur has raised this concern. Back in March, he expressed serious reservations about the increasing obscenity and abusive language in the content available on these platforms. He made it clear that the government will not tolerate abusive language being justified as creativity and urged for necessary actions to be taken to address this matter.
To address film piracy, the government has proposed the Cinematograph Amendment Bill in 2023. The main aim is to impose penalties for unauthorized cam-cording and duplication of films, making it a legal offense and subjecting the offenders to fines. This move is to protect the rights of filmmakers and combat piracy effectively.
However, the problem in the Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, is the section that allows for re-examination of films that have already been cleared by the censor board, raising concerns about possible delays in film releases. Thakur clarified that the censor board would remain an autonomous body, and the revision committee would consist of independent members. Additionally, film certifications would now be valid indefinitely, and films with an ‘adult’ rating could be shown on television with certain amendments.
Overall, the government is striving to strike a balance between creative freedom and responsible content regulation to ensure a more suitable and respectful viewing experience for the audience.
To sum up, the censorship on OTT is just as much away from arriving as it was a week back.