Bharati Dubey | TNN (THE TIMES OF INDIA; August 9, 2012)

 

Mumbai: The government crackdown on smoking in films has left the industry fuming. The I&B ministry recently issued a circular to producers of films with smoking scenes to start with a 20-second disclaimer—to be shot on the actor smoking —and repeat it later. Besides, the films need to have a static cautionary message on the screen during the entire duration of the smoking scene. While Madhur Bhandarkar, whose Heroine stars Kareena Kapoor, has agreed to ask her to dub the disclaimer, producer Mahesh Bhatt is opposed to Bipasha Basu mouthing the anti-tobacco message for Raaz 3.

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Mumbai: The information and broadcasting (I&B) ministry has made it mandatory for films that have smoking scenes to start with a 20-second disclaimer, a move that has not gone down well with a section of film-makers.

According to a circular dated August 2, producers have to shoot the disclaimer on the actor seen smoking in the film, repeat it in the middle and also have a static message on the screen for the entire duration of a smoking scene.

Earlier, in a notification dated October 27, 2011, the Union health ministry had laid down stringent norms for depiction of smoking in cinema and on television. However, the rules were not followed by many film-makers and members of the entertainment industry even wrote to health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad to register their protest.

So, how will the industry react to the I&B ministry’s move? More >