Thursday, June 01 2006
NEW DELHI: Health minister A Ramadoss on Wednesday said the order banning depiction of smoking in films and TV serials "will be implemented as soon as the Delhi high court gives us the clean chit. The new rules will be so strict that directors will find it difficult to show actors smoking."
I&B minister P.R. Dasmunsi had earlier questioned the ban saying how could a film show a character like Winston Churchill without a cigar.
Clarifying the new rules, joint secretary in the health ministry, Bhavani Thyaga- rajan, said: "All new movies with smoking scenes passed by the new censor committee will have to have disclaimers by the actors themselves seen smoking on screen.
In old movies, a warning and an advisory on the screen a minute before and after the smoking scene will have to be carried. The new rules will be very restrictive but will not take away the freedom of expression.
The new censor panel will only give permission to those films to portray scenes where it is absolutely essential to the story line." The health ministry also plans to institute awards for anti-tobacco activists.
- Kounteya Sinha, The Times of India (June 1, 2006)
