The Hindu : New Delhi News : Smoking in films generates heat

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jul 08, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

Smoking in films generates heat

There is no smoke without fire, goes the good old saying. In this case, of course, it is the smoke that has led to cigarettes becoming the burning issue in the Indian film industry.

Even as the country's film fraternity struggles to fight the Union Health Ministry's decision to ban smoking in films, strong opinions are emerging from the world's largest film industry.

In Delhi recently for a visit, acclaimed film-maker Adoor Gopalakrishnan was just one of them. Not known to mince words, the noted director came down heavily on the Government decision, describing it as a "silly'' move.

"If the Government is so serious about the issue then it should bring in legislation banning smoking. How is banning it in films or adding a tagline going to help? It is not after seeing actors smoking in films that people pick up the habit. The audience has a good level of awareness too,'' argued the award-winning film-maker.

His films may not fit into the commercial filmmaking sector here, but Adoor is convinced that even mainstream cinema does not promote smoking in any way.

"In any case, smoking is never shown in movies in a good light. Who smokes in most movies? The villain. It is always used to personify the bad guy. The most common shot is showing smoke and the zooming the shot to the source of it - the villain. If one order could change things, things would be very different,'' felt Adoor.

The film industry's complaints may be falling on deaf years, but film-makers are clearly not giving up as yet.

"It is very silly. If it was a genuine case it was fine, but this is a wrong way of implementing rules. You cannot curtail the freedom of an artist by prohibiting smoking in films. You never know what they will come up with next,'' was Adoor's final parting shot. -- Lakshmi B. Ghosh

-- Lakshmi B. Ghosh

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