MUMBAI: Catholics Stop Offensive Movie

India: Catholics protesting films "offensive to Christianity" score first victory with assurance of removal of objectionable scenes

May 13, 2006

Mumbai Catholics stop movie denigrating faith

Mumbai (ICNS) -- Catholic protests in Mumbai have forced India’s film censoring authorities to promise removal of all offensive scenes from the controversial movie Tickle My Funny Bone.

The Censor Board of Film Certification in a letter to the Catholic Secular Forum (CSF), which held massive protests against the movie, promised to assuage the hurt feelings of the community.

The movie, which claimed to be saying the story of "a sexy nun," was opposed by CSF and other Catholics saying it was a deliberate move to denigrate Catholic faith and its symbols.

Following the persistent protests, the censor board wrote to CSF promising to remove all visuals of Christian symbols from the movie, said a CSF press note on May 13.

Such symbols include church, rosary cross, clergy or even a woman dressed as a nun, the press note said. In promos, the movie’s lead lady role was portrayed wearing a nun’s dress in sexy manner.

Any vulgar and obscene display also would be removed and a preliminary show would be conducted for a gathering including a bishop and representatives of Religious nuns to assure that objectionable portions are removed. A vigilance team would check for interpolation.

The offensive posters and advertisements of uncensored portions of the film would be taken off and would not be allowed. A detective agency was appointed to keep vigil and report, the press note said.

The CSF, which has been protesting the movie more than a month now, had gathered thousands of people, including 500 nuns in protests attract the attention of authorities.

The producers of the movie KBC Pictures, was made to apologize and stated in a letter that "We had no intention of hurting the sentiments of any community."

The producers apologized and assured that the offensive "posters will not be used in the future," said the CSF press note.

The Censor Board’s letter came after CSF General Secretary Joseph Dias discussed the issue with Information & Broadcasting Ministry officials in New Delhi and met with the Board’s Regional Officer Vinayak Azad.

Source: www.theindiancatholic.com

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