Smoking ban amounts to censorship: Palekar 06th June 2005
11.11 IST
By Agencies
Actor director Amol Palekar feels that the recent government ban on smoking on screen amounts to censorship.
"There are adequate regulations which govern advertising of cigarette and other tobacco products. But putting a total ban on showing smoking on the screen amounts to censorship", he said.
"I have always been opposed to censorship of any kind in film, theatre or any other form of art. Censorship is not fair for art itself. It blocks free expression, which is vital for art.
Stating that the ground on which the ban has been imposed is justified, Palekar said, however, that a total ban is not the solution or way to curb smoking.
"The health concerns may be genuine. But if that is the case, there are many things, which we need to observe minutely. Going by the same standards, we will have to ban showing drinking as well. Because, drinking is more injurious to health and it is a social evil", he added.
The director, who was in the capital recently to promote his latest venture Paheli , denied suggestions that he is moving towards commercial cinema.
"There has been no deviation in the way I have been making films. When I made 'Kairee' (Marathi) with some new people, it was applauded as a beautiful art film. Now I have made 'Paheli' with Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukherjee and people are talking that I am shifting to commercial cinema. I have been maintaining the same style. If anything is changing, that is the way people are looking at my work", he said.
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Smoking ban amounts to censorship: Palekar
