Thanks for the decision taken by the Supreme Court last Friday lifting the ban imposed by various State Governments on the screening of controversial film, Jodhaa Akbar. The fundamental right to speech and expression is being checked and curbed by certain self-style custodians of certain communities and societies. This is exactly what happened in the case of Jodhaa Akbar. Creativity and its creation should be seen and appreciated. Creative licence and freedom cannot be hampered with a blinkered nationalism.

When the Censor Board has cleared the film with a certificate for public viewing, there is no business of these so-called custodians of the society to stall the screening of the movie. Such self-styled custodians of the society are forgetting the fact that ours is a country known for its unity in diversity. It is their parochialism that takes monstrous shape causing great inconveniences to the producers and also to the public. If they learn to value pluralism, they will never resort to such detestable deeds.

I recently saw the Telugu version of Jodhaa Akbar , which was released with 65 prints in Andhra Pradesh. There was no mad rush at the theatre showing the film. Only the class section of the theatre was full only because the Dhoom:2 pair was there. But to my pleasant surprise I saw in the class section, the chairperson of the Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission with members of his family watching the film based on history. UTV and Ashutosh Gowariker Productions’ Jodhaa Akbar is a film based on history. People thronged to see yet another historical movie on the lines of Mughal-E-Azam. Jodhaa Akbar has all the grandeur, stupendous sets, the Dhoom:2 pair, yet, one feels that there was something missing. Mughal-E-Azam, Anarkali and Taj Mahal - these historical movies were star-studded but they had great melodious songs that had drawn the repeat audience.
Thomas Vijayam (Anantapur, AP)