Doordarshan refuses to telecast Onir’s 'I Am’

Zeenews Bureau

Mumbai: Filmmaker Onir was on top of the world after his critically acclaimed film ‘I Am’ won best Hindi film honour at the 59th National Awards, but little did he know that his joys would be short lived. The director got a shock when Doordarshan refused to air Onir`s National Award winning film ‘I Am’ because it does not have `U` certification. "These archaic laws will be the death of indie filmmakers like me. My film already has a `U/A` certificate and is good to go on satellite channels, so what`s this new rule for just one channel?" asked the angry director. He has already written to Ambika Soni; the secretary, I&B ministry, and the NFDC. "It`s a joke that Doordarshan needs a `U` certificate while all the other satellite channels are allowed to screen `U/A` certified films also. What makes me really angry is that TV programming has no censorship, but films on TV are discriminated against. The decision was taken by a review committee, which means I can`t even re-apply or present my case. Although there is a rule that says that all National Award winning films have to be shown on DD, apparently, they also have a rule that says your film has to have a `U` certificate. There is no concept of `U/A` or night slots on DD, which means despite the cuts, "I AM" can`t be screened on DD," added Onir. ‘I Am’ consists of four short, issue-based stories – ‘Omar’ that talks about gay rights, ‘Afia’ on sperm donation, ‘Abhimanyu’ about child abuse and ‘Megha’, which relates the tale of Kashmiri Pandits.