In the News: Indian Film Censoring Domestic Violence
Carolyn  Subscribe in a reader
23/03/2009

Deepa Mehta's new film, Heaven on Earth, was threatened with censorship if it did not cut scenes of domestic violence and expletive language. Mehta refused and the film has not been reduced in strength, honesty or content.

It is interesting to think that in an age of beat-em-up-blow-em-up-shoot-em-up scenes of violence, it is domestic violence that is being censored. It is domestic violence that is making the censor board squirm in their seats.

 

 

I think the movie was excellent. It was not like a regular masala movie but the very style of her direction was like you were right there in the living room watching but u just couldnt reach out...The snake thing gave it a little twist but a nice one. It's a very real theme and there are many who look out for NRI grooms. The boys come down and quote any figure for a salary and well anyways they come in good clothes and with some extra spending money. The weather is so good there that their skin glows and stuff and the punch in the face comes when the girl many times much better educated than the man comes to know after the wedding, abroad, that the man is just a janitor at the airport! There are many who are not let out of the home and not given any pocket money also. So calling or taking a cab out of there to anywhere is impossible.... To the part of the mother in law...well I know someone whose mother in law insisted on stay in their room right from the very first night. She left her ailing husband and govt teaching job in Bagalpur and came to the son and got stuck in his room even. Even on the first night she kept saying hush to them. how she conceived 2 sons after that only she knows. How sad it is when one woman ruins the life of another woman... Plus the idea of making your wife serve alcohol to your buddies is very degrading. I know someone who makes his wife do it and she really hates it but over and over again...get ice, get more beer, get coke, put more ice, check the ice, call for more beer, put some more ice, put some in my glass, go, ok come back put some more, ..its just rotten.