Awards & films
The National Organisation for Tobacco Eradication (NOTE) and the Voluntary Health Association of Goa (VHAG) have urged the central government not to give awards to movies that have smoking scenes. They say that if filmmakers want awards, they should find some way to avoid showing smoking on screen. At very least, while showing such scenes, they should carry a disclaimer.
The justification of ‘creativity’ given by the filmmakers to allow smoking, they say, is just an excuse. Since advertising of tobacco products is banned filmmakers are being ‘used’ by the tobacco industry. A World Health Organisation (WHO) survey shows that three out of every four Indian films show smoking. Teenagers watching Bollywood characters smoke are three times as likely to do so themselves. If young people see their idols light up on screen, they are 16 times more likely to think positively about smoking. Says NOTE, 54 per cent of youth start smoking after they watch their favourite film stars light up on screen. Of this, half will die of cancer if they get addicted to tobacco. We completely agree.
But why stop only at smoking? Let us cut out all the evils that plague society out of films. Alcohol is the country’s only legal narcotic. Owing to its evil effects on society, advertising of liquor is banned too. Let the government not encourage booze through films – no more awards for any film that has drinking scenes.
Young people have tried to carry out robberies, dacoities and kidnappings, just as they have seen in movies. Therefore, to discourage crime, the central government should not give awards to any film that shows robbers, dacoits or criminals positively. Or, let them carry disclaimers stating that ‘Crime does not Pay’.
India is already on the sick list for degenerative diseases. It has the highest rates of diabetes in the world. Within 15 years, it is estimated by a body no less eminent than WHO, India will have the highest rates of death from heart disease in the world. Heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes will become the number one killers in the country within the next decade; with mortality rates much higher than cancer. Smoking no doubt worsens these conditions, but they are basically caused by a diet that is disproportionately high in fat and sugar. Therefore, films that have stars eating large amounts of red meat, fried food and sweets – which exacerbate these degenerative diseases – should not get awards.
Corruption is India’s bane. It has led this country on a desperate downward spiral in terms of public morality. Films that have protagonists that accept or give bribes, therefore, should not get awards. Tax evasion and black money are social evils that not only rob the public exchequer of revenue desperately required for social sector spending, but also contribute to criminalisation of politics. Any film that shows these social evils should not qualify for any award of any kind.
If we cut all bad things out of our films, we will have wholesome entertainment that will help build a good, clean and healthy society. But then, our films will have nothing to show, so who will bother to see them?
Call that cousin
A quiet revolution is set to take place in telecom. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) has decided that starting 1 December 2010, all calls to any fixed or wireless landline number anywhere in India from BSNL landline will be charged at local call rates. This means STD charges are history, and a call to anywhere in India is a local call. So call your cousin in Kolkata today; it only costs you as much as calling Cuncolim!
