Thiagarajan: Caught in the crossfire

Thiagarajan Kumararaja is a man on a mission. His debut directorial venture, Aaranya Kaandam, is now at the vortex of a storm ��������� with the censor board demanding about 52 cuts in the film ��������� and numerous consequential sub-cuts.
The director, who intends to present the film uncompromisingly to the audiences, exactly the way he envisioned it, remains unfazed as he opens up to.
He reveals that this censorship assault was an eventuality that he had foreseen since the time he had started making his film. Kumararaja says, ���������It���������s primarily the language that the board has an objection to. What���������s ironical is that my film does not depict the usage of such language in an exploitative sense ��������� instead, it���������s part of developing the characters in my story. You can���������t change who they are, where they come from or even their vernacular as that would defeat the purpose of my storytelling.���������
The director tells us that he���������s bemused at the moral policing rules that are cutting into artistic expression in Tamil films these days. He explains, ���������My film does not feature a single scene that could be termed as ���������titillation������material��������� for audiences. The customary ���������navel and cleavage��������� shots that have become a staple in films today have no place in my movie. The film is meant for mature adult audiences and the ���������A��������� certificate tells you that. I fail to understand why the board even feels that it needs to protect audiences from what I, as a filmmaker, have to offer?���������
Kumararaja believes that bleeping out the so-called ���������objectionable��������� words is no good as it throws audiences off the film���������s narrative. He goes on to explain, ���������Once you create a believable fictional universe, you suck the audiences into that world and they tag along for the ride. Halfway through, their suspension of disbelief meets with an abrupt halt, when you include a real-world element like a ���������bleep���������. Every effort that the filmmakers have put into the film just goes down the drain.���������
The director���������s fears are not just concerning his own film, but they encompass cinema on the whole. Kumararaja remarks, ���������This dangerous trend started when filmmakers began opting for ���������U��������� certificates to ensure larger viewership for their movies. They did this by trimming off scenes that the censors considered too risqu������ for family audiences. Sadly, a film aimed at intelligent adults is subjected to the same levels of scrutiny.��������� Kumararaja signs off on a hopeful note, stating, ���������The tribunal should consider the film for its artistic merit and afford it a treatment befitting the same.���������