‘Heroine’ wants no anti-smoking message Movie makers are ok to messages before the film starts, but not during the smoking scenes

‘Heroine’ wants no anti-smoking message

Movie makers are ok to messages before the film starts, but not during the smoking scenes

The makers of Bollywood film Heroine, starring Kareena Kapoor, on Monday moved the Delhi high court against the information and broadcasting ministry’s order to display anti-smoking messages during smoking scenes in the movie. Justice Rajiv Shakdher, hearing the plea, issued notices to I&B and health ministries and the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and sought their responses by September 10. Directed by Madhur Bhandarkar, Heroine is scheduled to be released September 21. The CBFC was also directed to view the movie and file a report in a sealed cover on the next date of hearing. The film’s producer, UTV Software Communication, approached the court seeking a board certificate for the movie without the conditions related to anti-smoking messages. The producer also sought the setting aside of the August 2 letter issued to them by the I&B ministry, imposing an additional condition that films that have smoking scenes should start with a 20-second warning on smoking hazards. The petition said the ministry requested the CBFC to advise the filmmakers to ensure “a 20-second anti-smoking message as approved by the health ministry with voice-over of the actor who is seen smoking in the film to be displayed at the beginning and in the middle (after interval) of the film”. Another condition imposed on filmmakers was that a static anti-smoking message should be displayed for the duration of the smoking scene in the film. Having no objection with the 20-second message at the beginning and in the interval of the movie, UTV’s counsel Parag Tripathi and Atul Nanda opposed the proposed static anti-smoking message during a scene. “It would kill the creativity of the scene,” the film producer said.