Indian court stubs out film smoking ban
The High Court in Delhi has overturned a government ban on showing smoking scenes in films saying that the ban violated the fundamental right of film-makers to freedom of speech and expression.
“The director of films should not have multifarious authorities breathing down their necks when indulging in creative art,” Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul said.
Film-makers had condemned the ban when it was instigated in 2005 as an absurd infringement of artistic expression.
Mr Justice Kaul passed the order to revoke the ban after a junior court had earlier given a split ruling on efforts by Bollywood director Mahesh Bhatt to challenge curbs on scenes of smoking in films and on television. The judge agreed that a blanket ban on films that showed smoking scenes was a direct encroachment on the creativity and free artistic expression of the film-maker.
It’s a shame that it took 3 years for the ban to be removed. But at least now there will be some films with smoking scenes.
Is it a co-incidence that the ban was overturned only after the minister pushing for it (mr Ramadoss) was removed (on an unrelated matter).
Its a shame that the ban has been removed. It is no secret that so many youth turn to smoking because of seeing their heroes smoke. The youths don’t possess the cognitive ability to resist neither they have motivation to resist to bad habits as most of their motivation is utilized focusing on their careers.
There is enough evidence that most youths start smoking as fun or for style and it sticks with them forever. There is no doubts about its addictive effects. Also, there is strong evidence of peer smoking as well which increases smoking and drinking many fold in youths.