Udta Punjab controversy: Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan speak out

The controversy around the upcoming film Udta Punjab, a film on the drug menace in Punjab, refuses to die down.

Even as some of the biggest filmakers from Bollywood went all out to defend the film and its co-producer Anurag Kashyap in his standoff with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) on Wednesday, actor Amitabh Bachchan has also commented on the issue.

During a promotional event for his forthcoming film, Te3n, when asked about the Udta Punjab conroversy, Bachchan said, “I am not aware of the issue, but would like to say that don’t try to kill creativity.”

“I hope we can device a system where there is certification rather than censor. Don’t try and kill creativity. We all must have the freedom to create because we are in this field and all we have is our soul to create,” Bachchan told a TV news channel. He added it is unfortunate that the makers had to move court, which might result in the film’s delay. “When you kill our creativity, you kill our soul. That would be detrimental to progress per say. I am not aware of Udta Punjab issue. But it is unfortunate that there is going to be a delay that they have to fight their way to the high court,” he said.

“But that there have been instances with me in the past as well where films were denied release and we had to go to higher authorities. Eventually, creativity won. But yes delay was something that one had to cope with,” Bachchan added. The actor feels a censor problem at the time of a film’s release acts as a “setback” for the maker as all the aspects from distribution to marketing are ready by then. “If you are dissatisfied with something, there is a tribunal, there are courts and there have been cases where eventually the maker has gone to court and come out with the decision that is pro him. “The only problem comes when the censor problem of a film comes at the time of release and everything is set up -- distribution, set up, publicity, theatres, publicity, marketing. At this point, if there is an obstacle to get certification then it sets you back. That is really bothersome.”

Aamir Khan is the latest celebrity to join the list of growing voices from the film industry, who have protested against the censor board’s demands to remove the word Punjab from the title and the story and make 89 cuts.

“It’s very unfortunate. I’m pained that the film is going through this. As per my knowledge, it is based on drug addiction and delivers a social message. I don’t think there is anything that should be cut or audience should be kept away,” Aamir said on the sidelines of an event in Mumbai.