A documentary on Amartya Sen, titled The Argumentative Indian, will not be released with a U/A certificate, as the filmmaker, economist Suman Ghosh, refused to give in to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC)’s order. The CBFC had reportedly demanded that the film mute out the words “Gujarat,” “cow,” “Hindutva view of India,” and “Hindu India,” which are spoken by Sen.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Ghosh said, “The attitude of the censor board just underlines the relevance of the documentary in which Sen highlights the growing intolerance in India. Such scrutiny of any criticism of the government in a democratic country is shocking. There is no way I would agree to beep or mute or change anything that one of the greatest minds of our times has said in the documentary.”
The documentary was screened at the CBFC office in Esplanade, Kolkata on Tuesday.
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Filmed over 15 years, the documentary has Sen in conversation with one of his students, economist Kaushik Basu. While the film has already been screeedn in New York and London, after yesterday’s screening in Kolkata, further screenings are doubtful, reports NDTV.
While Sen has refused to comment on the situation, Ghosh is yet to take a decision on his next course of action. He is planning to take this matter to court however, reports NDTV. The CBFC, too, have declined to comment.
Feature Image: Pradeep Gaur/Mint