The Malayalam film Marco (2024), starring Unni Mukundan, has faced a major hurdle as the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has requested a ban on its streaming. The Regional Officer of CBFC has appealed to the Chairperson and sought the Central Government’s intervention to block Marco on OTT platforms.
Marco has been criticized for its intense violence, with some calling it one of the most violent films in Malayalam cinema history. Earlier, CBFC had already rejected its satellite rights, stating it was unsuitable for a family audience. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also voiced concerns about its impact on young viewers.
CBFC Regional Officer Nadeem Thufali explained, “Marco has an A certificate, and parents should be cautious about allowing children to watch it. CBFC’s role is only certification, not censorship.”
But there are some questions. If the film is so problematic, then why was it allowed to be released on the big screens in the first place? It should have been banned over there. Why is it so that the authorities and politicians became active only after the film minted 100 crores?
The film has already been watched by a lot of people and it is unnecessary to ban it at this point. We are not defending the film. It is a really bad film to watch because there is nothing except bloodshed and gore. Violence must be used to support a point but in this case, violence becomes the point of the film which is highly problematic.
Directed by Haneef Adeni, Marco is a neo-noir action thriller that follows a ruthless criminal who seeks revenge for his blind foster brother’s brutal death. After its theatrical release, the film has been streaming on SonyLIV, but its future on the platform remains uncertain due to the ongoing controversy.