No-smoking warnings to go from films

The anti-smoking disclaimers, long a bone of contention between the censor board and film producers, is most likely to finally go, thanks to politicians belonging to the ruling party claiming that there is no definitive proof of cancer being tobacco consumption.

Sources in the government say these declarations exempting tobacco from sins of mortality could well sound the death-knell of the anti-smoking warnings that producers are forced to insert into their films.

According to sources, the government is on the verge of scrapping those statutory warnings that have long plagued producers.

Chairperson of the CBFC Pahlaj Nihlani certainly seems to agree that the tobacco disclaimers should go from the films.

Says Nihlani, "As a filmmaker I know how painful it is to have anti-smoking videos inserted in the beginning and middle of your film. The first shot of the film establishes a rapport with the audience. Likewise just after interval you need to capture your audiences' attention after they've gone out of the theatre to refresh themselves. When you take away the film from the director at those two crucial points of the story (the beginning and middle) you are essentially robbing him of his creative rights. That isn't fair especially when you are not a smoker. Why should you have your film and the audiences' mood spoilt? The anti-smoking disclaimers should go."

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