IT News
Mumbai, Aug 1:
The Defence ministry has advised producers making films, web series based on an Army theme, to seek an NOC from it, before telecast, since there are instances of the Indian Army personnel being depicted in a distorted manner.
In a letter 27 July, 2020, addressed to Regional Officer, Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), Mumbai, Sundershan Kumar, Under Secretary to the Government of India, has stated that the film makers producing the films/documentaries based on Army theme, be advised to seek an NOC from Ministry of Defence, before their telecast, since production houses are using contents which are distorting the image of Indian Army. They may also be advised to ensure that any incident, which distorts the image of defence forces or hurts their sentiment is prevented, the letter added.
The letter has drawn attention towards web series “XXX Uncensored (season 2)”, which according to the ministry has presented the army in poor light. The copies of the letter have been sent to the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
The controversy triggered off when the Indian Army was allegedly projected in a “distorted manner”, on producer Ekta Kapoor’s show on video-streaming platform ALT Balaji.
The Defence Ministry had received some complaints raising strong objections about portrayal of Indian Army personnel and Military Uniform in an insulting manner, In some of the web series like “Code M” on Zee 5 and “XXX Uncensored (season-2), the scenes related to the Army are far from reality and present a distorted image of the Armed Forces.
“XXX” is an erotic comedy-drama directed by Ken Ghosh. It revolves around five different stories and explores varying aspects of relationships. The first episode of the web series was aired on 27 September 2018.
Some concerned citizens and ex-servicemen associations have even lodged FIR against ALT Balaji seeking legal action. Similarly in June, “Bigg Boss 13” contestant Hindustani Bhau had filed a police complaint against Ekta Kapoor and Shobha Kapoor for “disrespecting” the Army in their show.
However, the CBFC — which functions under the Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry — does not have the mandate to regulate content on video-streaming platforms, and its role is restricted to films that are released in theatres and television satellite channels. Content in OTT platforms are, in fact, not regulated by any specific body. The platforms are still in the process of finalising a self-regulatory code for the content they stream.
