Poetry, literature, comedy, cinema: these art forms do not exist just to amuse and entertain the public. They have the ability to speak truth to power, start rebellions, and start revolutions. A comedy movie is not just stupid entertainment, it talks about the society we inhabit and the one we are leaving behind for our children. A poem is not only the personal expression of a poet, but also tells the truth of the time in which he lives. An artist is fully aware of the power his art has, and so is the establishment. So when a movie is butchered by the censored board or a book is banned by the government, one can make an educated guess about the reasons behind the same. That’s why millennials of a certain age remember movies like Rang De Basanti as a relic of its time, being fully aware that a film of these characteristics might not even see the light of day in current times.
Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s film, released in 2006, starred Aamir Khan and acted as a spark: of rebellion, of opposition, of questioning those in power and demanding answers, rightly so. The film was ably supported by music by AR Rahman and lyrics by Prasoon Joshi, who composed songs like ‘Roobaroo Roshni’ and ‘Khoon Chala’, which became anthems of rebellion. That is why it is now ironic that the man who wrote these poems of the revolution is now the current face of the establishment.
The rebel becomes a reason for rebellion
Prasoon Joshi’s ‘Roobaroo Roshni’ introduced the youth to the power they have. From nurturing a ‘gumshuda khwab’ (lost dream) to realizing that they have the ‘aag’ (fire) to go against the system, this song beautifully communicates how passion and purpose, combined with a mission, can initiate a change in the world. This spark, unfortunately, is now missing from the cinema we consume today. Prasoon is currently serving as the Chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and has been in the position for almost nine years, which is the longest period that a Chairman has served since the inception of the CBFC in 1951.
Films have always been used as a means of propaganda by the government. After the 1962 war between India and China, Jawaharlal Nehru wanted films to focus on the emotion of patriotism and that’s why Chetan Anand made Haqeeqat. When Lal Bahadur Shastri wanted to spread the message of ‘Jai Jawan Jai Kisan’, he asked Manoj Kumar to make a film on the subject; the actor and filmmaker handed over to Upkar. This feeling, although cruelly, continued during Emergency as well. But although the film industry was at the service of the establishment, it still had the power to challenge it. Many times films were banned, but on many occasions the public left the theaters questioning the government. Raj Kapoor’s films like Shree 420 and Jaagte Raho are examples of the same. In the recent past, films like Sarfarosh, Swades, did the same.
Story continues below this ad.
But in recent years this power seems to be disappearing. So much so that a movie like Ikkis, which talks about war victims has a disclaimer warning the public against Pakistanis. a movie like Dhurandhar has a complete track which causes the rise of the hero who will save the country, and in the midst of all this, the spark of rebellion has been completely extinguished.
‘Unless you criticize the government…’
Prasoon, who serves as the head of the CBFC, which basically controls what the masses consume, has immense power. One can only assume whether Prasoon is the sole decision-maker here, or whether there are other parties pulling the strings through CBFC, but what seems to be very clear is that there is no room for rebellion.
The recent troubles of Jana Nayagan, where the film was delayed just days before the release, indicate a bigger problem plaguing the system. The lack of transparency and the system with which this organization operates is almost authoritarian. A few months ago, writer and comedian Varun Grover, who made his debut feature film All India Rank, shared with The Lallantop that showing the wrong national flag on a cake in his film sparked a huge debate in the censor board. This, in the larger scheme of things, seems minuscule but it does hint at the nature of the system where talk about any religion, leader, city, state, community, that does not align with the idea of what they want to convey, is quashed without discussion.
Story continues below this ad.
Rang De Basanti emerged as the voice of the rebellion in 2006
A few years ago, when Prasoon Joshi was asked about the lyrics of Rang De Basanti, he said that the film talked about the revolutionaries of the independence struggle. While the film had its story as its backbone, it also spoke about much more. Then he said something that made his position very clear. “It’s not that you’re not doing the right thing unless you criticize the government. You can also join forces and make a constructive contribution to things where you think you can probably make a difference,” he told Cinema Express.
One can only assume that the man who posed ‘Sawalon ki ungli’ (Fingers that raise questions) with ‘Khoon Chala’ two decades ago was once led to believe that he would be the agent of change. In the nine years since he became CBFC president, Prasoon has not worked much in films. But in this period, movies have certainly changed. Prasoon is not solely responsible for that change, but when decades from now our future generations examine the art of this era, they will definitely find it ironic that the man involved in the making of one of the most unifying and revolutionary films of the 2000s finally merged with the establishment. They would also wonder if times were so difficult that they had to do it or if it was simply the easier path to take.