The main types of censorship in films: Are they even necessary? – Film Daily

Censorship is a controversial and debatable issue in the film industry, with no solution in sight. Censorship in simple terms is the suppression of certain parts of a film that has the potential of being politically unacceptable, offensive, or a societal threat. Different countries have different laws for films when it comes to portraying themselves. However, in the presence of disobedience, the censorship board honors the importance of censorship by removing or suppressing that content which might be harmful to children or vulnerable people.

One research paper on censorship stated a controversial concept that said that the government uses the process of censorship to hide information and only show people what the government wants to show. The government agrees that expressing some sides of a particular country can be difficult for a lot of its citizens and claims that this is exactly why censorship is necessary.

However, using censorship generally tends to create a problem with the freedom of speech that should be protected by law. Keeping this in mind, it is hard to choose a side on the debate of whether censorship is good or bad. Since it largely relates to the rights of a person, it is one of the reasons why today as students, we are expected to work on censorship topics for research papers from a young age.

Films are made in different genres, including comedy, societal, mystery, dark humor, and many more. A lot of these movies have scenes that may either be unfit to young children or to vulnerable groups. Sometimes, parts of these films may also leak out information that is highly sensitive.

However, considering this, not all films are censored in the same way. The types of censorship certificates as per the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) which is the regulatory authority in India, are:

There are many guidelines that any censorship board needs to follow in order to legally censor the film or parts of a film. Some of the possible topics of concern include anti- social and violent activities, scenes that glorify offense, vulgarity, oppressing and shaming women, and scenes that depict racial discrimination including towards religious groups. There has been a fine line between the expression and abuse of the right to freedom of speech.

Films have a profound way of impacting the lives of people. One can research more information on the rights of freedom of speech and many other aspects of censorship through some paper topics and censorship essay ideas. As responsible viewers, it is necessary for us to properly dive into understanding the ways by which censorship methods are applied.

Despite saying this, the question remains, Is censorship really necessary? There are people who have written on many censorship essay topics discussing on whether or not it must be applied. There are times when the censor board has been able to make the right decision of banning certain things from the viewers to protect them. This fairly supports the concern of why censorship is necessary. However, there is a lack of attention to alternatives from the board.

Banning and censoring scenes is not the only option that can be applied to protect their citizens. There are early measures that can be taken during the making of the film. The film industry is a big business industry with a lot of private interests of the directors, actors, producers, and many more. This is where the importance of censorship can get a little shaky.

Although the boards responsibility is to take care of the public interest, it is equally important to protect the interests of the crew that works to bring forth such films. There is a lot of investment that goes behind making a film worth watching, and many lives depend on the results of that film.

Banning or censoring a part of the film or in the worst-case scenario the entire film can have big negative effects on the economic aspect of everyone involved. However, if the board does ban a film there are still ways to lift it by seeking an appeal from the High courts. But this option is time-consuming and a loss of additional money.

In this way, despite the fact that censorship is an important way to protect the people and vulnerable citizens, it is equally necessary to understand that this should be a final and ultimate response to such inconvenience.

There are other mitigating measures that the board and the government can take before imposing intense bans on the films. Adopting alternative policies before imposing harsh censorship will not just ensure a proper balance between freedom of speech and censorship but will also give authority and proper justice to the industry that is involved in making films.

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The main types of censorship in films: Are they even necessary? - Film Daily