Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has launched a scathing attack on film censorship in India and demanded the complete abolition of the Censor Board. In strongly worded social media posts, the director argued that censorship is an “insult” to audiences and questioned why adults who are trusted to vote, raise families, and run businesses should not be trusted to decide what movies they want to see.

Varma began his post by declaring, “Censors should be banned,” adding that censoring films in today’s digital age is both outdated and irrational.

Describing the current system as fundamentally flawed, he questioned the competency of the government-appointed committee members who decide what viewers can and cannot watch.

He wrote, “In the age of smartphones, global streaming, and access to unlimited information, pretending that a government-appointed committee can protect adults from any truthful viewpoint of a filmmaker is not only out of date, it’s foolish.”

The filmmaker further argued that the government’s trust in adults appears contradictory. Although citizens are considered mature enough to vote and shape the future of the country, they are still denied the freedom to choose which movies they want to watch.

He said, “Any 18-year-old can choose the leader of the country, but it takes some random committee member to decide whether hearing an abuse or seeing a shot is corrupt or not. This is not protecting the society, but infantilizing it.”

The 64-year-old director also said that films are only the filmmaker’s point of view and audiences should have the freedom to agree or disagree with what they see on screen without interference from authorities.

Truth The director also questioned the effectiveness of censorship in the Internet age, arguing that cuts made for theatrical release become meaningless when uncut versions are easily available online.

He said, “Cutting a scene for a theatrical release is ridiculous because the uncut version will be on torrents, Telegram and international platforms within hours. Censorship does not hide content; it actually creates more demand.”

See also

Entertainment

Meghan Markle supports Prince Harry but wants him not to be burdened with lawsuits; source reveals

Giving the example of a hit Hollywood film, he said, PassionHe claimed that a scene removed by censors was ultimately watched by far more people through social media than in theaters.

According to him, the focus should shift from imposing cuts to providing clear content information so that viewers can make their own informed choices.

Varma urged filmmakers and producers to stop accepting arbitrary cuts and instead collectively challenge the role of the censor board through legal and public platforms.

“I think it’s time the industry challenged the current form of the censor board, both in the courts and in public discussion. Democracy demands free expression, and in a connected world, isolating and distorting cinema is not just being blind and deaf – it is actually suicidal for our growth,” he concluded.

The passion has been cut several times

For those unaware, after obtaining the ‘A’ certificate, Passion 38 seconds of footage, including scenes of extreme violence and sexual content, was released only after it was removed. As per the certification details, the CBFC has also directed to include mandatory anti-smoking and anti-tobacco health spots along with statutory warnings wherever scenes show smoking or alcohol consumption.

However, the most significant revisions involved the removal of material deemed inappropriate by the board. The CBFC ordered 24 seconds of scenes depicting “extreme violence” to be cut and 14 seconds of “graphic sexual activity” to be completely removed, bringing the total footage removed to 38 seconds. A scene containing nudity was also removed before the film was approved for theatrical release.