Should Adults only films be banned?
Ranajan Amarasinghe
Depicting of nudity and artistic handling of scenes of sex, which
would give aesthetic pleasure to adult viewers, censoring of which would
tantamount to curtailing freedom of expression which is enshrined in our
constitution itself.
Except for unrealistic moralists (who are trying to impose curbs on
natural laws, most of whom are in their dotage) board minded
adult-viewers who are endowed with a healthy appetite, would certainly
enjoy the adult-fare for depiction of complex nature of human behaviour
itself makes such movies thoroughly thought - provoking and stimulating
to the perceptive adult cinema - viewers. Banning of films such as
renowned Japanese film director Akira Kurasawa’s master-piece Rashamon
which handles an adult theme with admirable subtlety and finesse, poor
understanding of the aesthetics.
However, in this set-up, the state appointed officials who will be
given wide-powers to censor imported low quality films, which are
replete with crude sex scenes, may have justified grounds for their
involvement in safeguarding the refined taste-buds of the adult
population who may otherwise be subjected to moral degradation.
It must be remembered that our country which was known as the pearl
of the Indian ocean, was bestowed with a populace who were very tolerant
and liberal in their attitudes. After all our ancient kings too were
blessed with very liberal attitudes towards sex. So that it was natural
that our great kings had no qualms of maintaining a harem.
Arguably this draconian law of censorship if implemented fully, can
enlarge its tentacles, so that dramas, television programs,
advertisements, etc. can be subjected to its purview though this may
seem literally as an exaggeration.
Understandably parents are concerned about their children whose
tender minds can be corrupted if they are subjected to over-dose of
unabated violence and crude-sex which is churned out, over the idiot
box. Therefore some restrictions on children and adolescents who may be
lured to instincts of violence and sex, by watching adult-fare over the
television or cinema can be justified on moral grounds.
To sum up any restrictions or censorship on adults should be
challenged, if necessary at the highest courts, for it imposes curbs on
his or her basic human rights of expression. However there should be
some censorship on programs over the television as children of tender
age can be affected by unmitigated violence and uncouth sex.
It is in this scenario, it is imperative while some restrictions on
children’s programs are implemented on moral grounds, the adult
population is not subjected to any abominable censorship, which should
be rightly considered as obsolete and impracticable.
Finally let’s hope that our adults populace will be given a choice in
deciding what is decent or good for them rather than summarily ordered
to obey meekly to a decree issued by a state-body with unmitigated
authority who will undoubtedly preen as paragons of moral excellence.
After all in a democracy as mentioned earlier individual freedom of
expression is enshrined by its constitution it self.
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