The scenes of a dashing young hero puffing away stylishly on a
cigarette might soon be a thing of the past, with the new regulations
enforced by the Censor Board.
If there are smoking scenes in a movie, the new regulations make life
difficult for the movie’s production team during the censor
certification process. For a start, the movie will not be given a clean U
certificate even if there is no other objectionable content. The hero
will be required to deliver a special “Smoking is harmful” message at
the beginning and during the interval break of the movie.
The production team would also be required to give a very strong justification for the presence of the scene in the movie.
The movie industry was quick to raise its voice in protest against
these new regulations. Several leading producers from the industry are
planning to seek legal intervention in the matter.
