It`s time for I&B ministry to help film fraternity: Vishal Bharadwaj

Mumbai: Reacting to the arrest of Central Board of Film Certification`s (CBFC) CEO Rakesh Kumar in an alleged bribery case, filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj says it is high time that Information & Broadcasting Ministry should come forward and aggressively help film fraternity on various matters. "I have read about it (arrest of CBFC CEO) in newspapers. I think I&B ministry should step in aggressively, it is not just the issue of censor, but other things as well. We have been promised for eight years about forming the category (of films) from 12 plus, 15 plus, 18 plus children but it has not happened yet. We filmmakers are suffering," Bhardwaj told reporters here yesterday at an event.

"There are films that are for 12 plus or 15 plus children so if this category is created it will help us... If you have some adult content in the film ,there is pressure from corporate house and producers to make sure that there is no satellite issue. So, we work under lot of constraints. We entertain people and the ministry should look at our problems. I think I&B ministry should come forward and aggressively help us," he said. The CBFC is a statutory body under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to regulate public exhibition of films under the provisions of The Cinematograph Act 1952. Bhardwaj shares similar sentiment as CBFC Chairperson Leela Samson that, "the transparent method of certifying films is computerisation of applications." Bhardwaj was talking at the music launch of his upcoming film `Haider`. "First time there will be ten songs in the film which are of different genres of music and we are excited about it," he said.