Air Force plays censor
It has almost become the norm for some group or the other to object to a film for having “offended” them, but the way the Indian Air Force has targeted Mausam on the eve of its release is shocking. Surely the brave boys who defend our skies have better things to do. They should in fact be delighted their service is portrayed in an honourable and glamorous way. But no. An irate IAF has thrown a spanner in the works, leading to losses for the producers and forcing them to withdraw the film from festivals abroad.
The objection is apparently to a small but crucial sequence. That, however, is not the point. There is a government-appointed censor board tasked with clearing every film; surely the IAF cannot be allowed to act as a super censor. Particularly as it had vetted the script in advance! Even if it has legitimate grievances, there are ways to express them. Scuttling a release and demanding cuts is the kind of blackmail that publicity seekers indulge in.
The tendency to rake up a “grievance”, real or imaginary, is becoming routine in India. Sadly, both filmmakers and governments give in to such tactics. The IAF has regrettably joined this tribe, further chipping away at freedom of expression.
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