Indian filmaker wins censorship battle

by: Julie-ann Davies

Anand Patwardhan.
PHOTO: pn/anand ,

Mumbai: The Mumbai high court has ordered Indian national television station Doordarshan (DD) to show Anand Patwardhan’s documentary Father, Son and Holy War within the next twelve weeks.

The film investigates the relationship between patriarchy and violence in India. Made in 1995 it won two national awards and was submitted for broadcast on DD. But two years later the film still had not been shown.

A writ was filed in 1998 requesting a high court order that DD had violated Mr Patwardhan’s right to freedom of expression and the public right to information.

In 2002 the court viewed the film, heard the arguments and ordered DD to telecast the documentary within six weeks. In response the station filed a petition against the order and the legal wrangling continued over the next three years.

In June 2002 the Indian Censor Board demanded massive cuts to Mr Patwardhan’s documentary War and Peace. He was asked to delete all scenes and audio depicting “leaders” and a sequence in which a Dalit neo-Buddhist argued it was a travesty to carry out nuclear tests on Buddha’s birthday. (See PN 2448 http://www.peacenews.info/issues/2448/244822.html )

This is not the first time Mr Patwardhan has been forced to pursue DD through the courts. Three of his previous films were subjected to long legal battles prior to their screening.

Freedom of expression is guaranteed by India’s constitution and in all three cases the courts ruled in favour of Mr Patwardhan. After years of legal argument DD were compelled to screen Bombay Our City in 1989, In Memory of Friends in 1996 and Ram Ke Naam in 1997.

Father, Son and Holy War will be the fourth Patwardhan film only shown by DD after years of delay, resistance and litigation.