Showing posts with label MSG: The Messenger of God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MSG: The Messenger of God. Show all posts
Padmavati release delayed, will Salman Khan's Tiger Zinda Hai be postponed too?
8:08 AM
Bharati K Dubey (DNA; November 20, 2017)
The sudden and erratic decision of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to implement ‘submit your films 68-days in advance if you want a censor certificate on time’ has caught a lot of producers unawares. Viacom18 Motion Pictures, the studio behind Padmavati, has voluntarily deferred the release date of the film from December 1. The rule may also affect the release of big projects like Tiger Zinda Hai. Bollywood and Hollywood studios are completely unsure of the fate of their films. All of them are wondering what has prompted this sudden implementation of this new ‘procedure’ that was not practiced in the immediate past.
A senior official from a film studio said, “Nobody is denying that there was always a rule to say that films need to be submitted for certification 68-days in advance. However, there has always been a difference between rule and convention. As far as the industry was concerned, the convention was that normally films go in for certification just about 22 days before the release date.”
Helping the producers
Another insider points out that everybody was practical enough to realise that films are released under tremendous pressure and you can’t run the censorship process independent of the release of the film. So, even the CBFC officials tried to bend the rules a bit to help producers. Of course, there are those who think that the new change is a tactic to delay the release of Padmavati.
Disgruntled filmmakers are asking questions to the CBFC to show them a list of films that have actually been cleared by them keeping the 68-days procedure. Not to forget, there have been cases when films have been cleared in one day or cleared out of turn so that the release of the film is not delayed. An example is Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan’s MSG: The Messenger of God that was cleared within a day, leading to the resignation of the then chairperson, Leela Samson.
Following procedure?
It is being suggested that as per the Cinematograph Act — the Chairman may, for reasons to be recorded in writing, relax the time-limits prescribed by this rule for the performance of any act — if he is satisfied that it is necessary to do so to avoid any undue hardship. Also, if one looks at rule 41 of the Act, the entire procedure if followed, is definitely less than 68 days. But Prasoon Joshi is reportedly following procedure.
New date to be announced soon
A spokesperson from Viacom18, says, “We are a responsible, law-abiding corporate citizen and have the highest respect and regard for the law of the land and all our institutions and statutory bodies including the Central Board of Film Certification. We always have and are committed to continue following the established procedure and convention. We have faith that we will soon obtain the requisite clearances to release the film. We will announce the revised release date of the film in due course.”
What former CBFC chairpersons say...
Pahlaj Nihalani
It is an old law and after the online certificate has come into place, applications are filed round-the-clock, hence, the board is overloaded with work, with the dubbed version of South and Hindi films for certification to be played on satellite channels. Since it is online, there is no way they can jump the queue as there will be trouble during the audit, citing corruption and favouritism towards the producers, so, nobody is going to take the risk of clearing films out of turn. When I was the chief, I used to schedule the application with fair knowledge of the film industry. I would know which film has a better chance of release; I used to schedule accordingly and accommodate people. As for Prasoon Joshi, he is a writer so he does not really know producers whom I knew, but he also cannot do anything with the new system. I also know that the post-production work on Padmavati is still going on and they will have to submit the final print of the film for certification.
Asha Parekh
Producers come to the CBFC at the last minute with their films, so the implementation of this rule is good in a way, but also a bit dicey at the same time. Producers will have to wait for two months to get the certificate. I wonder how they’re going to do it. Especially with bookings of theatre, this is going to be difficult. I don’t see this to be workable; let’s see how the producers react.
Leela Samson
Even before Messenger of God, there was an assurance that the CBFC would certify films within four weeks from the time of application. During a dull spell, a film could be cleared in a week also and during peak festival seasons, we had to have multiple camps to clear a large number of films. Even so, to jump the queue, we got producers who submitted late and wanted a certification immediately, to procure in writing an okay from all those producers whose films were waiting in line before him for certification. However, a collusion between agents of the producers and junior officers at the CBFC was often remarked upon and films were cleared at a short notice.
Censor Board had refused to clear Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's first film MSG: The Messenger of God
3:01 PM
Former CBFC member Nandini Sardesai reveals why the board members had rejected the movie outright
Roshni Olivera (BOMBAY TIMES; September 1, 2017)
While the last few days have
seen numerous jokes on Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's films doing the
rounds, not many are aware that his first film MSG: The Messenger of God
(2015) had run into censor trouble. The board members had valid reasons
for not clearing the film, but eventually, Singh, who has just been
sentenced to 20 years for two rape cases by a special CBI court in
Rohtak, managed to get the film released.
Nandini Sardesai, one of the members of the Censor Board during that time, spoke to Bombay Times about what happened when the self-styled Godman's film came up for censorship. She said, “In mid-January 2015, four CBFC members, including me, were at the Eros theatre (Churchgate, Mumbai). As usual, we did not know which film we were about to view until we reached the venue. When the papers were handed over, I read that the film we were to view was MSG: The Messenger Of God. As the film unfolded, it turned out to be some sort of a fantasy movie starring a man who called himself God. He was the producer and director and the cast comprised his followers. It was replete with miracles and magical displays, and also some explicit lewd scenes. As soon as the film was over, one of the members, who was a Sikh, told me that the man in the film had been chargesheeted for rape and was considered a Godman in Punjab-Haryana. I was taken aback to hear this. In any case, the committee, after discussion, felt that the film was promoting blind faith and superstition and as per the rules of the CBFC, it should not be certified. As per procedure, the applicants (the filmmakers) were called and informed. They argued aggressively, but the committee did not budge. Finally, I stated that they could appeal to the CBFC chairperson or go to FCAT (Film Certification Appellate Tribunal). The film was screened the next day for the chairperson Leela Samson in Chennai.“
Sardesai added, “After watching the film, Leela agreed with the committee's decision and spoke to me on the phone. Within 48 hours, the film was shown to FCAT - it usually takes a couple of weeks to get an appointment - and it was passed with a U/A certificate! Leela was furious, as the tension had been building up since a few months. She called me and announced her decision to quit as chairperson. Many board members, who had completed their tenure and had got an extension, resigned in unison. I was only midway in my tenure, so I decided to continue till the next year. I felt that I could contribute positively by being a board member than staying outside.“
“The Dera chief 's first film was launched with much fanfare and thereafter, he made similar films. He was on a high, it was apparent. He had shown he had the power to cock a snook at the authority. His next films were cleared by the new chairperson, Pahlaj Nihalani, without any ado. Last year, I ceased to be a board member, having completed my tenure. I had given my job my best shot and felt satisfied. I knew I would not be given an extension as I had been branded 'a liberal' by the chairperson,“ she summed up.
Nandini Sardesai, one of the members of the Censor Board during that time, spoke to Bombay Times about what happened when the self-styled Godman's film came up for censorship. She said, “In mid-January 2015, four CBFC members, including me, were at the Eros theatre (Churchgate, Mumbai). As usual, we did not know which film we were about to view until we reached the venue. When the papers were handed over, I read that the film we were to view was MSG: The Messenger Of God. As the film unfolded, it turned out to be some sort of a fantasy movie starring a man who called himself God. He was the producer and director and the cast comprised his followers. It was replete with miracles and magical displays, and also some explicit lewd scenes. As soon as the film was over, one of the members, who was a Sikh, told me that the man in the film had been chargesheeted for rape and was considered a Godman in Punjab-Haryana. I was taken aback to hear this. In any case, the committee, after discussion, felt that the film was promoting blind faith and superstition and as per the rules of the CBFC, it should not be certified. As per procedure, the applicants (the filmmakers) were called and informed. They argued aggressively, but the committee did not budge. Finally, I stated that they could appeal to the CBFC chairperson or go to FCAT (Film Certification Appellate Tribunal). The film was screened the next day for the chairperson Leela Samson in Chennai.“
Sardesai added, “After watching the film, Leela agreed with the committee's decision and spoke to me on the phone. Within 48 hours, the film was shown to FCAT - it usually takes a couple of weeks to get an appointment - and it was passed with a U/A certificate! Leela was furious, as the tension had been building up since a few months. She called me and announced her decision to quit as chairperson. Many board members, who had completed their tenure and had got an extension, resigned in unison. I was only midway in my tenure, so I decided to continue till the next year. I felt that I could contribute positively by being a board member than staying outside.“
“The Dera chief 's first film was launched with much fanfare and thereafter, he made similar films. He was on a high, it was apparent. He had shown he had the power to cock a snook at the authority. His next films were cleared by the new chairperson, Pahlaj Nihalani, without any ado. Last year, I ceased to be a board member, having completed my tenure. I had given my job my best shot and felt satisfied. I knew I would not be given an extension as I had been branded 'a liberal' by the chairperson,“ she summed up.
Tere Bin Laden director Abhishek Sharma pens hilarious open letter to the Censor Board
7:57 AM
In view of the drastic changes in the Censor Board, Abhishek Sharma, the director of comedy films like Tere Bin Laden and The Shaukeens writes an open letter to the Board, tongue-firmly-in-cheek...
Abhishek Sharma (DNA; February 16, 2015)
Dear Censor Board,
How are you doing? I hope you are recovering well from the sudden internal revamp that was caused by the identity crisis faced by some previous members of yours. I don’t blame them for feeling sidelined as these days a lot of unofficial organisations are doing your job. We have political and religious groups banning films free of cost. We as filmmakers don’t have to pay any processing fees to them, nor do we have to wait in the long queues in order to get moral lessons from these esteemed people. What more, we don’t even have to show them our films. They have a great censory perception (pun intended) as they can decide if a film is bad or dangerous for a society without even viewing it!
They are definitely doing a far better and efficient job of protecting our society from crazy artistes than you ever did. From raising objections over factual errors in fictional novels to roasting comedians who dare to roast other comedians, these self-appointed contractors of morality cover the entire spectrum of art and culture. Nowadays, even National Governments like that of North Korea and terrorist organisations like Al-Qaeda are contributing magnificently to the cause of firing artists. Well, literally in the case of Al-Qaeda.
In these times your existence has surely become redundant. You clear a film, yet it gets banned (Vishwaroopam). You ban a film, yet it gets released (Messenger Of God). What’s the point if no one respects your judgement? This calls for serious action. You should stand up for your exclusive right to defend the immature audience of this country. I suggest you start with banning the act of banning by unauthorised groups or individuals. We as filmmakers prostrate before you to become the sole antagonist in our lives as we dare to exercise our freedom of expression. It will be lot easier to deal with one entity rather than a countless guardians of culture and morality.
However if you can not achieve such an exclusive status, please stop living a pretentious life. You have no reason to exist on tax payer’s money if you can’t be the final authority on what’s good for him and what’s not. In such a scenario you can still survive by being an advisor, a guide. You can just rate films without censoring them and let the people decide if they want to watch them. Don’t worry about us, the filmmakers, as we will still have the political parties, religious heads, rogue governments and trigger happy terrorists to deal with!
Wish you a speedy recovery and intense introspection!
Yours Sincerely,
Abhishek Sharma
(Censor Survivor)
Movie Review: MSG - THE MESSENGER by FENIL SETA
9:08 AM
We are fortunate to live in India and following Bollywood. After all, we have the option to watch various kinds of films – from something as sensible as Queen and Highway to convincing, entertaining over the masala entertainers like Rowdy Rathore and Dabangg and to something as atrocious but entertaining as Gunda and Deshdrohi. MSG – The Messenger falls in the final category obviously. And as lovers of trashy films would know, such films can also give a high and satisfaction. In that regard, MSG – The Messenger is complete paisa vasool trash!
The story of the movie: Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan (Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan) is the head of Dera Sacha Sauda, a socio-spiritual organization which has its base in Sirsa, Haryana. He has 5 crore followers in the world and is indulged in various welfare activities. His drive against drug addiction has been very successful and hence, the people in the drug business consider Guru ji a threat. At a meeting of drug dealers of the world at Australia, it is decided that Guru ji should be killed and Mike is sent to do the needful. Meanwhile, Alice (Olexandra Semen) is a foreign journalist who decides to stay in Guru ji’s ashram after he permits her to make a documentary on him. In the ashram, she befriends the two ashram residents, Muskan (Flora Saini) and Kasam (Jayshree Soni). Meanwhile, Mike reaches India and is all set to assassinate Guru ji.
The censor certificate of MSG – The Messenger lists the length of the film as 197 minutes. Thankfully, it’s not and lasts for around 175 minutes. The opening titles are interestingly put together. But all the impression goes down the drain as soon as the Guru ji makes an entry in the terrible ‘Never Ever’ song. It gets worse with the scene of the drug dealer’s meeting in Australia. The makers had all the money at their disposal, which is evident from the lavish scale at which the film is made and mounted. Yet, they didn’t go to Australia to shoot the drug dealer’s scene. The result – tacky VFX job as the meeting room ‘overlooks’ the Sydney Harbour. That’s not all. There’s another scene of the meeting of a certain Don and Mike in a yacht which is ‘floating off’ the Sydney harbor. It is laughable. Meanwhile, the drama soon shifts back to Sirsa as Guru ji is shown dancing and making merry. Soon, it’s time for the first action scene and it sets the mood of the film and how. One has to see it as Guru ji sitting in his outlandish car many kilometers away is able to suddenly install an invisible electric fence at the ashram gates so that goons can’t enter the ashram! And the manner in which he jumps into the ashram over a 15 feet wall using 2 poles will put biggest pole vault players to shame. He even has the power to transform swords and guns into rose petals and what not. In short, he is invincible. In fact, throughout the film, he never suffers any challenge or problem. And the villains are presented as a bunch of fools and definitely are no match to Guru ji. Especially Mike who is shown as a sexy assassin (his weapon is a Quidditch ball, btw!) but all his plans are so stupid that Guru ji would have defeated him even without his powers! There is a closet villain in the film who is revealed only in the end. And I must admit, this part of the film did engage me and I constantly wondered who would be that ‘dhokebaaz’. But in the end, that person has a change of heart too quickly and hence looked stupid. And the review won’t be complete without a talk about the climax. Guru ji’s stunt at this point is legendary. How the makers came up with such stuff, man! Hats off!
Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan has a screen presence but one can’t help but take him seriously because of his gaudy costume and the kind of stuff that he does in the films. Even his vehicles are showy. And he drives/ride everything in the film from unusually designed cars to three-wheeler to an airplane to a cycle to even the scooter bike! The three heroines - Olexandra Semen, Flora Saini and Jayshree Soni – are quite decent. The villains are bad and act like buffoons when they should have exuded fear or vengeance. The actor playing Deepak (who is born with the only aim of live telecasting Guru ji’s programme Rubaru Nights) is terrible.
Songs composed by Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan himself are out of tune, except ‘Raatan Baatan’. And there are too many songs, added just for the heck of it. For instance, ‘Raatan Baatan’ song ends and it gives way to a 1-minute long dramatic scene wherein Guru ji saves a tricolor. Suddenly, he realizes that he’s patriotic as well and hence starts singing ‘Desh’! So there are 2 songs almost back to back! However, Amar Mohile’s background score is exhilarating. Direction (Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan and Jeetu Arora Insan) is amateurish. Surely, their aim is good and it’s nice to know that Guru ji does so much social work and has helped patients, old-aged people, handicapped people, prostitutes etc and provided them with a life of dignity. But the impact gets diluted thanks to the over the top and outrageous stuff that happens in the film. Also, the only aim of the film is to glorify Guru ji. So whatever he does, his followers get happy. For instance, Guru ji sits on a cycle and starts riding and his followers start clapping and celebrating! Like, really?! Another instance – Alice asks for a permission of Guru ji to film a documentary. The moment he nods in agreement, Alice gets soooooo happy as if she invested money in a Nigerian scam and instead of getting duped, she earned crores of rupees. Moreover, the humour element just doesn’t work. Gaurav Gera’s antics are anything but funny. And one of the villains in the film is Chillum and he runs news channel called ‘Chillum TV’. If all this is added to make us laugh, then sorry boss, it failed big time!
On the whole, MSG – The Messenger as expected is a poor show all the way. Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan disappoints as actor, co-director, music director, lyricist, writer, co-cinematographer, co-art director, co-choreographer and co-action director! However, for lovers of trashy films, this one is a cult classic and something that deserves to remembered and revered for years! The makers, it seems, have done massive block bookings in PVR and Cinemax cinemas and hence you might not get tickets in their properties. The rest of the theatres are going empty. Go for it before it’s out! And needless to say, eagerly waiting for its sequel, which reportedly is already 80% complete!
My rating - * out of 5!
MSG: The Messenger is a Bollywood entertainer: Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insan
7:49 AM
Mohar Basu (BOMBAY TIMES; February 13, 2015)
Saint Gurmeet Ram Rahim
Singh Ji Insan feels his popularity has gathered momentum prior
to the release of his film MSG: The Messenger. He says that the Censor
Board's recent outlash got the film in news, adding, “The controversies
have worked in our favour. But the mass resignations that followed were
not over my film. The appropriate authorities have passed my movie.“
The spiritual leader intends to bring about positive social change
with this film, which is directed by him along with Jeetu Arora. “My
real motive is to create social upliftment and involve more people in
this revolution for a better society,“ he says. Yet, the trailer harps
on his physical prowess. “It's a Bollywood entertainer with values that
the audience expects. The stunts, when seen in the film's context, will
inspire the youth to protect women. It is largely a true story with the
paraphernalia adding to its entertainment quotient,“ he adds.
Despite the recent hitches, the debutant director considers his film to be a surreal experience. “Around 76,000 people turned up for a song I choreographed. The crowd participation was heartening,“ he concludes.
MSG: The Messenger, produced by Hakikat Entertainment, releases today.
Despite the recent hitches, the debutant director considers his film to be a surreal experience. “Around 76,000 people turned up for a song I choreographed. The crowd participation was heartening,“ he concludes.
MSG: The Messenger, produced by Hakikat Entertainment, releases today.
Fenil's Bollywood Talk # 346
10:59 AM
ARJUN-JACQUELINE-ARJUN TO CLASH WITH GURMEET RAM RAHIM SINGH INSAN TOMORROW!
It’s going to be an interesting clash tomorrow as diametrically opposite films are going to try their luck at the box office tomorrow. My analysis:
ROY: It was launched almost 2 years back and was to initially release on June 20, 2014. It stars Arjun Rampal and Jacqueline Fernandez in leading roles and Ranbir Kapoor has a supporting role, reportedly. Due to various delays, the film is finally seeing the light of the day tomorrow. No wonder that rumours started pouring in that the makers or the actors were unhappy with the film and hence the delay. The theatrical trailer, in my opinion, is strictly okay but one can’t deny that the film has all the ingredients of an intelligent, musical drama-cum-thriller. It is directed by debutant Vikramjit Singh and produced by Bhushan Kumar of T-Series. Hence it’s obvious that songs would work with audiences and that’s what has happened. Sooraj Dooba Hai, Tu Hai Ki Nahin and Chittiyaan Kalaiyaan have become chartbusters and can help the film in getting a good opening. However, the film has quite a few challenges to face. Ranbir is the biggest selling point of the film but since he has a small role, it might affect the film’s prospects. Also, the hype isn’t tremendous and if response is bad, it can fall big time, as it happened with last week’s release Shamitabh.
MSG – THE MESSENGER: This marks the debut of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan, head of Dera Sacha Sauda and boasting of almost 5 crore followers. The trailer was unveiled in mid-December. While his fans went crazy, the others were surprised and stunned with Gurmeet Ram Rahim’s antics. For them, he became a laughing stock and MSG – The Messenger was immediately categorized in the league of cult trashy films like Deshdrohi, Gunda, etc. The film was embroiled in a controversy after the Censor Board refused to certify it on the grounds that it promotes superstition. Residents of Punjab have their grouse against the guru and the state has banned the film. This is the first time a saint is featuring in a film and hence one can’t be sure about its box office prospects. He has crores of followers who might ensure that the film becomes a success.
MSG – The Messenger is almost 195 minutes long and some theatres have hiked prices extremely, as if this is a festival release. Even then, it seems that massive block bookings are done since many shows in certain theatres are already sold out. Let’s see if the film turns out to be the first hit of the year!
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE ROY OR MSG – THE MESSENGER AND WHY? DO LET ME KNOW!
MSG makers fail to make proper changes; asked to submit fresh CD by the Censor Board
7:35 AM
Bharati Dubey (MID-DAY; January 22, 2015)
The censor certificate continues to elude MSG: The Messenger Of God, which proved to be a bone of contention between the censor board and the government.
The Film Certification Appellate Tribunal had given a quick go ahead to the film last week with a ‘U’ certificate but made a few recommendations — the makers were asked to insert two disclaimers and mute a couple of dialogues too. However, the changes have not been properly accommodated, say sources.
A source reveals, “The producers submitted a revised CD of the film but found out that the corrections were not up to the mark. One of the dialogues was not properly muted. So, they have been asked to make the changes and submit it to the censor board’s office in Mumbai.” The disclaimers suggested have to state that the film does not intend to hurt any religious sentiments.
Aditya Insan, the film’s spokesperson, says: “We will make the necessary changes and resubmit the film as soon as possible.” The film featuring godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan became a topic of debate after it was rejected by the censor board’s examining committee as well as the revising panel for public screening. The committee referred the film to the tribunal as it felt the film may cause law and order problems and promotion of superstition and blind faith could hurt religious sentiments.
The tribunal watched the film in New Delhi on January 15 and cleared it within 24 hours of submission. Reports of the clearance fuelled a spate of resignations in the censor board, including that of its chief Leela Samson.
MSG: The Messenger of God will not see a Republic Day release
7:54 AM
Mohar Basu (BOMBAY TIMES; January 21, 2015)
In the media interaction
held at a suburban Mumbai hotel, Saint Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insan
came clean on the controversies surrounding the release of his film
- MSG: The Messenger Of God. Constantly being referred to as 'Baba', he
answered every question posed at him, ranging from the possibility of a
romantic track in the movie to the film's run-in with the Censor Board
regarding the film's certification. The songs Desh Ke Liye, Ram Ram and
Never Ever lightened the mood with the saint even obliging to sing for
the audience. Co-actors Flora Saini, Jayshree Soni and Gaurav Gera too
were present along with the co-director Jeetu Arora Insan. It was made
clear that the movie will not see a Republic Day release.
MSG: The
Messenger Of God is produced by Ravi Verma under the banner of Hakikat
Entertainment Pvt Ltd.
Allegations of political interference in Censor Board were made up-Pahlaj Nihalani
8:11 AM
Pahlaj Nihalani, the new CBFC Chairperson, dismisses accusations of political interference and corruption
Roshmilla Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 20, 2015)
How did you respond to news that you are the new Chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC)?
There has been no official intimation yet. It's the media who have been calling me with the news. If it's true, then I'm thankful to the Modi government for their confidence in me and for giving me this responsibility. I will give it my best shot and do the job without creating any controversies.
But the Censor Board has been dogged by controversies of late with some producers alleging bias and others getting away with 'objectionable' content...
Nobody is ever satisfied with what they get. Our job is to make the right decision as per the given guidelines and to ensure that a suitable rating is given depending on the content, without taking into consideration whose film it is.
The CBFC has been under a cloud following corruption charges against its former CEO, Rakesh Kumar. How do you plan to clean up the system?
Corruption is rampant everywhere. But the new government which is in power at the Centre is trying hard to deliver what people want, by selecting the right people for the job. The PM, Mr Narendra Modi and Mr Arun Jaitley, the Information & Broadcasting Minister, are doing the right things in the right way. I have been in this industry for 45 years as a producer, distributor and the president of a filmmakers' association. In my career I have never been asked to offer money to an official. It was only during the last chairperson's tenure that allegations of corruption cropped up.
What about allegations of political interference and coercion?
Again, I think that these allegations were made up in the interest of a few people.
What about the recent incident when Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan's MSG: The Messenger Of God was cleared despite serious objections from former board members?
I've been busy with family issues so I wouldn't like to comment on this except to say that the film followed the correct procedure. It went to the Examining Committee, then was screened for the Revising Committee, before approaching and being cleared by the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT). The Tribunal doesn't need to consult members of the Board. I think this issue was raked up by members whose tenure had ended, simply to embarrass the Board and the government.
A constant grouse of the film industry is that their films are censored by people who have little knowledge of cinema...
Nobody is an expert. It's up to us to select members who can objectively decide if a film is watchable or objectionable, and to rate it accordingly. The majority decision will prevail. As a producer I have attended all the censor screenings of my films and followed their instructions to the T. I have never faced any problems whatsoever.
Finally, there's apprehension that with the BJP in power, certain ideologies will be promoted and some filmmakers will be at the receiving end...
The BJP was in power earlier too, when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was Prime Minister. And I can't recall a single censor controversy from the time. Conjecture, speculations and presumptions are not right. We should leave the job of deciding if a film is suitable for public viewing and what certification it should get to the right people. Period.
OTHER MEMBERS
Other members of the Censor Board team include Mihir Bhuta, Syed Abdul Bari, Ramesh Patange, George Baker, Chandra Prakash Dwivedi and Ashoke Pandit.
MSG Effect: CBFC exodus as nine more members resign
4:04 PM
Joint resignation letter says events leading to board chief Samson's resignation were 'proverbial last straw'. I&B minister Jaitley says UPA appointees 'rebels without cause', politicising 'routine' issues
Lakshmi Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 18, 2015)
The exit of Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chairperson Leela Samson and member Ira Bhaskar on Friday sparked nine more members putting in their papers protesting alleged government interference, a charge rejected by I&B minister Arun Jaitley who said the government maintains "an arm's length distance" from CBFC's functioning.
"It is regrettable that the UPA appointees have decided to politicise routine issues. I have checked with ministry officials, who informed me that funds for CBFC have been returned to the ministry as unspent," he said.
He added, "The charge that CBFC meetings are not being held is self-condemnation. The meetings are to be convened not by the minister or the secretary but by the chairperson. The UPA government had politicised the board. In 2004, they dismissed the existing board headed by eminent actor Anupam Kher merely on the ground that Kher was appointed by the earlier government. We did not wish to do that."
In their joint letter of resignation, Ira Bhaskar, Lora Prabhu, Mamang Dai, Pankaj Sharma, Rajeev Masand, Sekharbabu Kancherla, Shaji Karun, Shubhra Gupta, and T G Thyagarajan said the events that led to Samson resigning from her position were merely the "proverbial last straw".
"It is our firm position that given the cavalier and dismissive manner in which the CBFC is treated by the government, it is impossible to perform this duty with even a modicum of efficacy or autonomy," they added.
Samson, who headed the statutory body under the I&B ministry, alleged "coercion", "corruption" and "interference" by the government in its functioning. Her resignation came amid controversy surrounding the clearance given by the film tribunal to the film MSG: The Messenger Of God featuring Dera Saccha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.
Protests erupt; premiere of MSG: The Messenger of God at Gurgaon cancelled
8:43 AM
MUMBAI MIRROR (January 17, 2015)
Police and security agencies in Punjab and Haryana were put on high alert on Friday following protests against Dera Sacha Sauda leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim's debut movie MSG: The Messenger of God.
More than two lakh followers, including women and children, had gathered in Leisure Valley Ground in Gurgaon, NCR, for the film's premiere, scheduled that afternoon. The district administration had made special arrangements and 60 Indian National Students' Organisation activists were detained in Gurgaon as they prepared to march to the venue As members of the Sikh community and the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) workers also gathered in numbers, the premiere was postponed till Sunday.
In Punjab, additional security forces were stationed in Amritsar and Bathinda. Sikh organisations and leaders are opposed to the sect and its leader.
Authorities in Haryana put security forces on alert in Sirsa district, where the sect has its headquarters.
The ministry can directly act as the certifying body-Ira Bhaskar on MSG: The Messenger Of God
8:41 AM
Roshmilla Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 17, 2015)
Last Monday, soon after the Central Board of Film Certification's (CBFC) revising committee refused to clear socio spiritual organisation Dera Sacha Sauda's chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan's upcoming film MSG: The Messenger Of God, senior Board member Nandini Sardesai told Mirror (Jan. 13), "The film will not release this Friday."
Sardesai informed that all seven members of the committee, which she had chaired, agreed with the examining committee that the film cannot be shown in its entirety as it not only promotes blind faith and superstition, but could hurt religious sentiments and cause law-and-order problems.
On Thursday, the film was cleared by the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT). Early on Friday, Leela Samson resigned as Chairperson of the CBFC, citing reasons including "interference, coercion and corruption of panel members and officers of the organisation who are appointed by the ministry and having to manage an organisation whose Board has not met for over nine months as the ministry had no funds to permit the meeting."
She pointed to recent cases of interference in the working of the CBFC by the Information & Broadcasting Ministry, through an "additional charge" CEO and corrupt panel members which degraded the values the members and the Chairperson stood for. When informed that MSG had been cleared by the Tribunal, she said, "It is a mockery of Central Board of Film Certification. My resignation is final. I have informed the (I&B) Secretary."
A few hours later, another senior board member, Ira Bhaskar, put in her papers in support of Samson. Speaking to Mirror, Bhaskar said, "Other resignations will follow, we will make a joint statement tomorrow."
The Dean of the School of Arts and Aesthetics, JNU, Delhi, Bhaskar pointed out that once their term was over in March 2014, they'd not wanted to continue. But Samson was persuaded by the I & B Ministry to stay on till a new Chairperson was appointed.
"We strived for transparency, we were attempting to make changes but the government was not in favour," she sighed. She groused that though both the Regional Officer and the CEO have to report to the Chairperson, they have been functioning independently.
"The Board is supposed to meet four times a year, the last meeting was in January 2014. It seems the panel has become redundant. And now with Leela gone, there is no reason to hang around. The ministry can directly act as the certifying body," Bhaskar asserted.
Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, MoS, I&B, has challenged Samson's statement about coercion and interference from the government, asking for an SMS or a letter as proof that establishes her accusations. "There are different ways to create pressure, like indifference. Ignoring an issue, not taking it up, so it eventually falls by the wayside, is as effective," reasons Bhaskar.
Prod her on whether MSG: The Messenger Of God getting the go-ahead from Tribunal was the last straw, Bhaskar says, "May be for Leela it was. It proved that the Chairperson was not required. It's being said that she sent the film to FCAT but it's the producer who takes it to the Tribunal. I'm not sure if the Mumbai office even bothered to inform Leela."
Nandini Sardesai informed that after the examining committee rejected the film on Sunday, she was pushed to chair a revising committee on Monday who watched the film till from 3 pm to 6.30 pm before giving their verdict. "While we were watching, I got a call from the Police Commissioner of Gurgaon wanting to know if the film had been cleared. Obviously he feared law and order problems," she recalls.
In the film the Dera chief takes on the drug mafia of Punjab. Every sniper has his gun trained on him but he foils all attemps to kill him. "If he were a superhero in a fantasy film, it would be exciting to watch, but this is an attempt at self-glorification by a real person. He is shown performing miracles like curing a terminally ill AIDS patient and bringing a dead man back to life. This would only encourage blind faith and have every godman across the country wanting to feature in a film too," she argues.
Sardesai said that a clause in The Cinematograph Act states that a film which promotes 'obscurantism' and 'unscientific attitudes' will not be permitted for public exhibition. But despite these objections, a Tribunal was set up in 24 hours and the quasi-judicial process that takes at least two weeks was completed in a day. The film was cleared by Thursday.
"The Regional Officer, who is supposed to be at the screening, to explain why the film was not cleared, was informed at 4.30 pm on Thursday in Mumbai, that the Tribunal was watching the film in Delhi in an hour. It would be interesting to know who were on the tribunal. They circumvented the panel, quashed the issues we raised."
Buzz is, MSG: The Messenger Of God was cleared because the Dera had supported the BJP in the Haryana state elections. Aditya Insan, the Dera spokesperson, dismisses this allegation, saying, "It was cleared because the application was filed on an urgent basis since we had the fixed the release for January 16. What merits equal scrutiny is why Madamji threw out an anti-drugs, anti-trafficking patriotic film." When quizzed on the release, he said, "I've no clarity at the moment."
Now showing - Censor board vs govt: After Leela Samson, 8 Members Quit To Protest 'Meddling'
8:34 AM
Avijit Ghosh & Himanshi Dhawan (THE TIMES OF INDIA; January 15, 2015)
In a day of dramatic
developments, censor board chief Leela Samson quit citing bureaucratic
interference, coercion and corruption, triggering a series of
resignations of board members. At last count, at least eight of the 23
board members had either resigned or were planning to in the next 24
hours. A few more may follow.
The government fielded the junior I&B minister, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, to deny any interference in the board's functioning. He said if Samson or any other member had any evidence of interference, in the shape of a letter or SMSs, it should be brought to the government's notice.
Samson said there was “total interference on every film, big and small“. Sources said overruling Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) objection and hastily clearing MSG: The Messenger of God, a controversial film by Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan, by the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) was the tipping point for her decision to resign. The board felt that the film promotes obscurantism. The CBFC members who have submitted their resignation, or are in the process of doing so, include academic Ira Bhaskar, AICC secretary (Hindi dept) Pankaj Sharma, TV journo Rajeev Masand, film actor Arundhati Nag, filmmaker Shahji Karun, theatre personality M K Raina, TV producer Nikhil Alva and Lora K Prabhu.
The term of all the members had expired in May 2014, and they were being given extensions by months. On top of this the board was allegedly being starved of funds, and had not met since early 2014. That apart, their efforts to bring structural changes in the composition and qualification of examining committee members were also thwarted by the ministry. This, many members said, had made their role irrelevant. CBFC member Ira Bhaskar says they were frustrated by the bureaucracy at every step.“We are going to resign in support of Leela Samson. But what's happening now is a culmination of a long process. There was no money for meetings. The board didn't meet since early 2014. We wanted to bring about positive changes. To that end we had also written to the UPA government in the summer of 2013. As members, we are supposed to put across our views in meetings. Otherwise what's the point in being a member?,“ she said.
It is learnt that Raina and film writer Anjum Rajabali had already tendered their resignations some time ago.“But it seems it wasn't accepted. Because suddenly a few days back, I received a card extending my tenure,“ Raina told TOI. Bhaskar, who also teaches cinema in JNU, said: “Our term ended in May 2014. But we kept getting extension by one or two months. There was no extension after September 2014. Then strangely I received a letter on Thursday night with my new card as a board member extending my tenure till March 2015.“
In Mumbai, board member Nandini Sardesai, who headed the review panel of MSG, said the film shows him projecting himself as having miraculous powers to cure deadly diseases and eliminate enemies. On Friday a board member in Mumbai said, “MSG was twice rejected by the board, once by an examining committee, another time by a seven-member review panel. Those who saw the film felt it can cause disharmony in society.“
TV producer Nikhil Alva said, “We have resigned en masse in solidarity with the chairperson. I think the board serves no purpose except to take flak on certification. It acts as a buffer between the I&B ministry and the world when there is something wrong and I think given their attitude its best that the ministry take on the work of certification itself.“
Film critic Rajeev Masand said that being part of the board had been a “frustrating experience“ and concerns raised on issues of corruption and interference had fallen on “deaf ears“. He said the board was not allowed to function, or meet and several letters sent to the ministry had not been addressed.
-------------------------------
Citing “corruption and interference by the I& B ministry”, Board chief Leela Samson stepped down on Thursday night; Ira Bhaskar, another member, shall also put in her papers and others are likely to follow suit
Bharati Dubey (MID-DAY; January 17, 2015)
MSG : The Messenger of God has many disbelievers in the Censor Board. After the film received swift clearance from the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) post-rejection from the examining and revising committees of the Central Board of Film Certification — also called Censor Board — the board chief and another member stepped down from their positions.
Censor Board chief Leela Samson put in her papers on Thursday night, amid reports that MSG : The Messenger of God , the film featuring Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan, had been cleared by the FCAT. In support of Samson, Ira Bhaskar, another member, will also put in her papers. Said Bhaskar, “ I am going to email my resignation and this is in support of the chairperson. We, as a board, stood for transparency in certification. We wanted the board to work as a certification body, not a censoring body, and wanted to encourage dialogue.” An en masse resignation of members is expected today.
The Censor Board had refused to clear the film, saying it could hurt religious sentiments and also promoted superstition and blind belief.
Moral stand
In her resignation letter, Samson, a Bharatnatyam dancer, cites “interference, coercion and corruption of panel members and officers” in the organisation who are appointed by the I& B Ministry, as well as “having to manage an organisation whose board has not met for over nine months as the Ministry had ‘no funds’ to permit the meeting of members.” She added that the term of all the members as well as the chairperson of the CBFC was over. “But since the new government failed to appoint a new board and chairperson, a few were given extensions and asked to carry on till this procedure was completed,” says Samson, who was appointed chairperson in 2011, succeeding Sharmila Tagore.
She also pointed fingers at Shravan Kumar, CEO, Children’s Film Society of India, who holds additional charge as Censor Board’s CEO. “Recent cases of interference in the working of the CBFC by the Ministry, through an ‘additional charge’ CEO and corrupt panel members has caused a degradation of those values that the members of this Board of CBFC and chairperson stood for,” she wrote.
Asked if there was any pressure from the Central government, which is allegedly close to the producer of MSG : The Messenger of God — the godman Insan — she said, “ There was no direct pressure put on me by any official or political party. But, the inordinate speed and interest taken in passing this film is unprecedented.”
Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, minister of state for information and broadcasting, challenged Leela Samson’s allegations. Speaking to the media, he said yesterday, “I would like to see one SMS or mail which suggests that a member has been coerced.’’
‘Fast-track’ clearance
Nandini Sardesai, a board member who was part of the revising committee (RC) that also rejected the film, is equally shocked with the tribunal’s nod. She explained, “Usually, the tribunal screening takes two to three weeks, but within 24 hours of RC rejecting the film, it was screened and cleared. Though the I& B minister Raghuvendra Rathore said there was no political interference, who got the film cleared within a day? I am glad she (Samson) has taken a stand.”
Sardesai argued that the Mumbai regional officer, who headed the board’s examining committee, was not aware of the tribunal screening until an hour before it happened. “What about our credibility? We spend time to watch the film, and people from all walks of life are involved in this procedure. We brainstorm over it. All this was overruled. It is nothing but mockery of the CBFC. This is only to encourage other godmen to make films on themselves,” she stated.
According to an industry source, “Even a film like Raajneeti, which was referred to the tribunal, took three days to be cleared. This (quick clearance) has never happened in the past and is shocking.”
The government fielded the junior I&B minister, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, to deny any interference in the board's functioning. He said if Samson or any other member had any evidence of interference, in the shape of a letter or SMSs, it should be brought to the government's notice.
Samson said there was “total interference on every film, big and small“. Sources said overruling Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) objection and hastily clearing MSG: The Messenger of God, a controversial film by Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan, by the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) was the tipping point for her decision to resign. The board felt that the film promotes obscurantism. The CBFC members who have submitted their resignation, or are in the process of doing so, include academic Ira Bhaskar, AICC secretary (Hindi dept) Pankaj Sharma, TV journo Rajeev Masand, film actor Arundhati Nag, filmmaker Shahji Karun, theatre personality M K Raina, TV producer Nikhil Alva and Lora K Prabhu.
The term of all the members had expired in May 2014, and they were being given extensions by months. On top of this the board was allegedly being starved of funds, and had not met since early 2014. That apart, their efforts to bring structural changes in the composition and qualification of examining committee members were also thwarted by the ministry. This, many members said, had made their role irrelevant. CBFC member Ira Bhaskar says they were frustrated by the bureaucracy at every step.“We are going to resign in support of Leela Samson. But what's happening now is a culmination of a long process. There was no money for meetings. The board didn't meet since early 2014. We wanted to bring about positive changes. To that end we had also written to the UPA government in the summer of 2013. As members, we are supposed to put across our views in meetings. Otherwise what's the point in being a member?,“ she said.
It is learnt that Raina and film writer Anjum Rajabali had already tendered their resignations some time ago.“But it seems it wasn't accepted. Because suddenly a few days back, I received a card extending my tenure,“ Raina told TOI. Bhaskar, who also teaches cinema in JNU, said: “Our term ended in May 2014. But we kept getting extension by one or two months. There was no extension after September 2014. Then strangely I received a letter on Thursday night with my new card as a board member extending my tenure till March 2015.“
In Mumbai, board member Nandini Sardesai, who headed the review panel of MSG, said the film shows him projecting himself as having miraculous powers to cure deadly diseases and eliminate enemies. On Friday a board member in Mumbai said, “MSG was twice rejected by the board, once by an examining committee, another time by a seven-member review panel. Those who saw the film felt it can cause disharmony in society.“
TV producer Nikhil Alva said, “We have resigned en masse in solidarity with the chairperson. I think the board serves no purpose except to take flak on certification. It acts as a buffer between the I&B ministry and the world when there is something wrong and I think given their attitude its best that the ministry take on the work of certification itself.“
Film critic Rajeev Masand said that being part of the board had been a “frustrating experience“ and concerns raised on issues of corruption and interference had fallen on “deaf ears“. He said the board was not allowed to function, or meet and several letters sent to the ministry had not been addressed.
-------------------------------
Citing “corruption and interference by the I& B ministry”, Board chief Leela Samson stepped down on Thursday night; Ira Bhaskar, another member, shall also put in her papers and others are likely to follow suit
Bharati Dubey (MID-DAY; January 17, 2015)
MSG : The Messenger of God has many disbelievers in the Censor Board. After the film received swift clearance from the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) post-rejection from the examining and revising committees of the Central Board of Film Certification — also called Censor Board — the board chief and another member stepped down from their positions.
Censor Board chief Leela Samson put in her papers on Thursday night, amid reports that MSG : The Messenger of God , the film featuring Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan, had been cleared by the FCAT. In support of Samson, Ira Bhaskar, another member, will also put in her papers. Said Bhaskar, “ I am going to email my resignation and this is in support of the chairperson. We, as a board, stood for transparency in certification. We wanted the board to work as a certification body, not a censoring body, and wanted to encourage dialogue.” An en masse resignation of members is expected today.
The Censor Board had refused to clear the film, saying it could hurt religious sentiments and also promoted superstition and blind belief.
Moral stand
In her resignation letter, Samson, a Bharatnatyam dancer, cites “interference, coercion and corruption of panel members and officers” in the organisation who are appointed by the I& B Ministry, as well as “having to manage an organisation whose board has not met for over nine months as the Ministry had ‘no funds’ to permit the meeting of members.” She added that the term of all the members as well as the chairperson of the CBFC was over. “But since the new government failed to appoint a new board and chairperson, a few were given extensions and asked to carry on till this procedure was completed,” says Samson, who was appointed chairperson in 2011, succeeding Sharmila Tagore.
She also pointed fingers at Shravan Kumar, CEO, Children’s Film Society of India, who holds additional charge as Censor Board’s CEO. “Recent cases of interference in the working of the CBFC by the Ministry, through an ‘additional charge’ CEO and corrupt panel members has caused a degradation of those values that the members of this Board of CBFC and chairperson stood for,” she wrote.
Asked if there was any pressure from the Central government, which is allegedly close to the producer of MSG : The Messenger of God — the godman Insan — she said, “ There was no direct pressure put on me by any official or political party. But, the inordinate speed and interest taken in passing this film is unprecedented.”
Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, minister of state for information and broadcasting, challenged Leela Samson’s allegations. Speaking to the media, he said yesterday, “I would like to see one SMS or mail which suggests that a member has been coerced.’’
‘Fast-track’ clearance
Nandini Sardesai, a board member who was part of the revising committee (RC) that also rejected the film, is equally shocked with the tribunal’s nod. She explained, “Usually, the tribunal screening takes two to three weeks, but within 24 hours of RC rejecting the film, it was screened and cleared. Though the I& B minister Raghuvendra Rathore said there was no political interference, who got the film cleared within a day? I am glad she (Samson) has taken a stand.”
Sardesai argued that the Mumbai regional officer, who headed the board’s examining committee, was not aware of the tribunal screening until an hour before it happened. “What about our credibility? We spend time to watch the film, and people from all walks of life are involved in this procedure. We brainstorm over it. All this was overruled. It is nothing but mockery of the CBFC. This is only to encourage other godmen to make films on themselves,” she stated.
According to an industry source, “Even a film like Raajneeti, which was referred to the tribunal, took three days to be cleared. This (quick clearance) has never happened in the past and is shocking.”
MSG promotes blind faith, superstition; could cause communal problems-Nandini Sardesai
8:05 AM
CBFC's revising committee has refused a certificate to the film saying it promotes blind faith and superstition
Ankur Pathak (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 13, 2015)
The upcoming film, MSG: The Messenger of God, starring "rockstar baba" Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan, which was to open this Friday, has hit a roadblock. The examining committee of the Central Board of Film Certification refused to clear the film and last evening, the revising committee too rejected it, saying it will create "law and order" issues.
Confirming the news, CBFC member Nandini Sardesai told Mirror, "All seven members agreed that in its entirety, this film cannot be shown as it not only promotes blind faith and superstition, but also hurts religious sentiments and could cause communal problems."
Now, the only option left for the makers of MSG: The Messenger of God is to approach the Tribunal, which has a retired High Court judge on board. Said Sardesai, "As of now, the film will not release this Friday."
She groused that it shows a living man perform miracles. "How can they promote someone who has criminal cases registered against him in this way? If it was a fantasy with Superman doing all this, it would have been fine but this is about a living person," she argued.
She revealed that the makers were willing to cut certain scenes but pointed out that the Board's problem is with the film's message that encourages superstition.
Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan, founder of the socio-spiritual organisation, Dera Sacha Sauda, is currently facing charges of mass castration which is being investigated by the CBI. He is the star of MSG: The Messenger of God which he has also written, directed, filmed and composed the score for.
Censor Board denies certificate to MSG: The Messenger of God
9:47 PM
A Revising Committee of the CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification) has refused to give certification for the release of 'MSG: The Messenger of God' featuring controversial guru Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan.
The movie — Messenger of God — was scheduled to release on January 16 and was awaiting clearance from the Censor Board. Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan has allegedly been depicted himself as god in the film although the film's team have refuted the claim.
Reports say there's a likelihood that the filmmaker may approach the Tribunal for certification.
The Centre had issued an alert to the Punjab and Haryana governments, with the Union home ministry writing to these states that a movie releasing on January 16 starring controversial godman Sant Gurmeet Ram Rahim could lead to communal tensions.
It stars Rahim who has recently been booked by CBI for carrying out forceful castration of his devotees. The home ministry, in a communique to both the states, has said there could be huge protests against the movie close to its release date and has pointed out that tensions could rise as all major Sikh organisations have objected to the contents of the movie and are planning protests.
Ram Rahim Singh said through the movie he wants to connect to the young generation. He claimed he completed the film in 67 days and its main focus is to end ills prevailing in the society. "A total of 13 lakh people have acted in the movie. In one song, 1.25 lakh people have taken part," he had claimed.
NEWS 18
Censor board rejects MSG: The Messenger of God; revising panel to take the final call
8:38 AM
Bharati Dubey (MID-DAY; January 12, 2015)
The trailer of MSG: The Messenger of God featuring a ‘rockstar baba’ may have received over a million hits on video sharing websites but the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has refused to clear the film. A majority of the board’s examining committee members have taken exception to the protagonist, Baba Ram Rahim Singh, depicting himself as god.
Stating that though Singh has not criticised any religion in the film, sources say he is shown to be performing miracles and curing terminal diseases.
A committee member says, “The godman has showed himself as god and the film looks more of an advertisement. Besides, some scenes show miracles taking place which are not substantiated by logic.” The film has now been referred to the board’s revising committee which will watch the film today.
The spokesperson for the film Aditya Insan rebuffs the CBFC’s arguments. “In the promo, he clearly mentions that he is a normal human being. He is the hero of the film and does what other heroes do — fight evils of the society. We are now awaiting the revising panel’s decision,” he says.
I simply wrote songs & people said they sounded like hip hop-Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan
9:56 AM
Miracle-man, script-writer, music composer and man on CBI radar. Mirror meets Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan
Rishi Majumder (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 11, 2015)
To fight controversy, you need spectacle. I ask 47-year-old Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan, head of Dera Sacha Sauda, if I should worry that his followers will kill me, like they allegedly killed journalist Ram Chandra Chhatrapati, for writing something they didn't like.
We're in a conference room at the Times of India building in Noida. The god-man wears a bright yellow tee shirt and leopard print harem pants. His videographer hovers around filming us. Insan's eyes - in between vast beard and hair - are watchful.
The Dera Sacha Sauda, a socio spiritual organisation with five crore followers, has been embroiled in a long list of controversies. There have been protests and clashes over Insan seen to be dressing like Guru Gobind Singh, ongoing murder and rape cases, and suspicion of illegal arms possession. As we speak, the CBI is filing an FIR against him for having allegedly ordered the castration of 400 followers.
The Dera, headquartered at Sirsa, Haryana, was founded in 1948 by Shah Mastana who established 25 ashrams in Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan, where the Dera's key influence lies. Each Dera guru chooses his successor. Mastana chose Shah Satnam Singh who passed the reigns to Insan in 1990.
People of any religion or caste can be members. They adopt 'Insan' as their surname.
To my question Insan offers context. "In the ashram we often discover cobras. We put them into 20 litre Bisleri containers and set them free. If someone abuses he goes without food for a day. How can I order a killing?"
There's the spectacle. A man conjuring up an image of a deadly cobra in a Bisleri container.
Another spectacle is the trailer of MSG: The Messenger of God (the first part of the title is a hybrid abbreviation of the latter) a film where Insan plays himself. It's about the Insan's war against social ills and how vested interests conspire to kill him. Insan is also the director, cinematographer, costumer, music director and playback singer. The trailer shows him breaking out of a snow hill, pulping goons, wearing outlandish outfits, performing stunts, shattering a giant tree stem with a punch. In a song, he makes terrorists faint by playing the mouth organ. The film is produced, sans irony, by Haqeeqat Entertainment, run by a Dera follower. Production has cost less than Rs 10 crores, but publicity should cost more.
They aim to release it in over 3,000 screens. "We have followers everywhere," says Insan. "Besides North India I also do satsangs in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The response to the trailer made people feel it made economic sense." The trailer has over 21 YouTube lakh views. Insan claims to have shot 80 per cent of the sequel already.
This film, shot in 67 days, is a culmination of Insan's attempts, since 2011, to reach out to youth through pop culture. "Eighty per cent of our followers are youth," he says. He has composed and sung social and spiritual songs - that fall in or in between genres like rock, pop, rap and hip-hop - in night-long concerts with lakhs of people. The video of the particularly garish, Highway Love Charger, which went viral online has youth dancing vigorously to it.
At one such gathering some youngsters were telling Insan about a movie they had gone for. "They were embarrassed because cinema is perceived to be a bad influence." So he thought of MSG.
Insan's ideas on filmmaking are elementary. "I haven't been trained," he explains and says only that two key things are: explaining the right "bhaav" to the actor and settling on the "angle you're shooting from". Similarly, with music, he says he "simply wrote songs" and later "people said they sounded like hip-hop or rap". He recounts "walking alone, amidst nature" and thinking of a song to the "beat of my footsteps". Beyond this he credits "Ishwar" or his "Guruji" (Previous Dera Head Shah Satnam Singh). The same for costumes.
There has been hardly any press, so far, around Insan's co-director Jeetu Arora or co-cinematographer Vineet Sapru, who come from fairly unknown TV backgrounds.
For at the heart of MSG is the seed of modern propaganda: Marshal McLuhan's 'The medium is the message'. Says Dr Aditya Insan, an ophthalmologist and Dera spokesperson, "When people see one person directing, acting, composing, singing and doing stunts, they will know what spirituality can achieve."
When Insan took over he was 23 and a mere sevakar at the Dera, which had a following of around 11 lakhs. He got his guru mantra from Singh when he was five. He thinks he was first aware of a larger divinity when he was a few months old and "a bird would come repeatedly into my room".
There are other stories around Insan's childhood, regurgitated by Dera members like mantras. He drove a tractor at the age of eight, inaugurated a reservoir that never goes dry and so on. And contemporary miracle tales. Dr Aditya believes Insan helped his father out of paralysis. "I don't care if they strip me of my medical degree for saying so." Another spokesman, Pawan Insan, claims his mother's gall bladder stones mysteriously ceased to be a problem.
These are augmented with accounts of scientific achievement. Primarily the Dera's meditation centres and campaigns against drug addiction and alcoholism but also blood donation drives, an eye bank, a subsidized hospital and schools and relief work. Also, refuge to acid attack victims, transgenders, and sex workers who wish to leave their trade. Last year, the Dera spent roughly Rs 72 crores, its accounts department says. The proceeds from MSG, says Dr Aditya, will go towards thalassemia and HIV research and treatment.
The Dera's assets are declared to be about Rs 240 crores. Other less advertised ventures, run on Dera land or with its support, include, reportedly, a small entertainment park, hotel, restaurant, TV channel, newspaper, magazine, shopping complex, wedding hall, petrol pump, cricket stadium, aloe vera and organic farms, factories and shops.
To fight controversy, you need a point of disassociation. Insan doesn't want to talk about the cases, because they're subjudice, but when I press him on Chhatrapati's murder he says they're registering names of people who take the Jaam-E-Insaan (a mix of milk, water and rose essence, an induction ritual) now, but didn't earlier. "I didn't even know the accused," Insan says. "I can't control every action of every follower." There are, apparently, things even Guruji or Ishwar can't help you with.
But to really fight controversy, you need enemies, real or imaginary. And alliances.
When I ask Dr Aditya about the cases he asks me to understand "geostrategy". "By destroying the Punjabis and the Haryanvis, the ISI and the Chinese may want to destroy India's martial races," he suggests. The narrative he implies is that Insan is fighting the good fight and so 'foreign hand' in collusion with drug lords, bootleggers, alcohol companies and corrupt politicians is attacking him.Going by the trailer, this narrative will occupy much of MSG. I ask Insan why he appears so violent. "Self defence," he says. "I take care to beat up those attacking me in such a way that they don't die."
He says the Dera is teaching many girls at his ashram self defence. They're teaching boys too. Also, the Dera has a 'political wing'. "This is not run by the Dera," says Insan. "But followers who said they wanted to be politically active." The point of dissociation returns. "I merely preside over meetings and read out names of those leading activities to check for objections."
Leaders of various political parties visit him. In 2007, Dera "satsangis" in Punjab supported Congress. On October 7, 2014, 44 of 90 BJP candidates in Haryana met Insan. Days later members of the Dera's political wing in Haryana were quoted supporting the party.
It won. Now, Insan is glad Prime Minister Narendra Modi is speaking of issues such as Swachch Bharat, female foeticide and drugs. "He's adopted the same issues I've been raising for so long now."
Rishi Majumder (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 11, 2015)
To fight controversy, you need spectacle. I ask 47-year-old Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan, head of Dera Sacha Sauda, if I should worry that his followers will kill me, like they allegedly killed journalist Ram Chandra Chhatrapati, for writing something they didn't like.
We're in a conference room at the Times of India building in Noida. The god-man wears a bright yellow tee shirt and leopard print harem pants. His videographer hovers around filming us. Insan's eyes - in between vast beard and hair - are watchful.
The Dera Sacha Sauda, a socio spiritual organisation with five crore followers, has been embroiled in a long list of controversies. There have been protests and clashes over Insan seen to be dressing like Guru Gobind Singh, ongoing murder and rape cases, and suspicion of illegal arms possession. As we speak, the CBI is filing an FIR against him for having allegedly ordered the castration of 400 followers.
The Dera, headquartered at Sirsa, Haryana, was founded in 1948 by Shah Mastana who established 25 ashrams in Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan, where the Dera's key influence lies. Each Dera guru chooses his successor. Mastana chose Shah Satnam Singh who passed the reigns to Insan in 1990.
People of any religion or caste can be members. They adopt 'Insan' as their surname.
To my question Insan offers context. "In the ashram we often discover cobras. We put them into 20 litre Bisleri containers and set them free. If someone abuses he goes without food for a day. How can I order a killing?"
There's the spectacle. A man conjuring up an image of a deadly cobra in a Bisleri container.
Another spectacle is the trailer of MSG: The Messenger of God (the first part of the title is a hybrid abbreviation of the latter) a film where Insan plays himself. It's about the Insan's war against social ills and how vested interests conspire to kill him. Insan is also the director, cinematographer, costumer, music director and playback singer. The trailer shows him breaking out of a snow hill, pulping goons, wearing outlandish outfits, performing stunts, shattering a giant tree stem with a punch. In a song, he makes terrorists faint by playing the mouth organ. The film is produced, sans irony, by Haqeeqat Entertainment, run by a Dera follower. Production has cost less than Rs 10 crores, but publicity should cost more.
They aim to release it in over 3,000 screens. "We have followers everywhere," says Insan. "Besides North India I also do satsangs in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The response to the trailer made people feel it made economic sense." The trailer has over 21 YouTube lakh views. Insan claims to have shot 80 per cent of the sequel already.
This film, shot in 67 days, is a culmination of Insan's attempts, since 2011, to reach out to youth through pop culture. "Eighty per cent of our followers are youth," he says. He has composed and sung social and spiritual songs - that fall in or in between genres like rock, pop, rap and hip-hop - in night-long concerts with lakhs of people. The video of the particularly garish, Highway Love Charger, which went viral online has youth dancing vigorously to it.
At one such gathering some youngsters were telling Insan about a movie they had gone for. "They were embarrassed because cinema is perceived to be a bad influence." So he thought of MSG.
Insan's ideas on filmmaking are elementary. "I haven't been trained," he explains and says only that two key things are: explaining the right "bhaav" to the actor and settling on the "angle you're shooting from". Similarly, with music, he says he "simply wrote songs" and later "people said they sounded like hip-hop or rap". He recounts "walking alone, amidst nature" and thinking of a song to the "beat of my footsteps". Beyond this he credits "Ishwar" or his "Guruji" (Previous Dera Head Shah Satnam Singh). The same for costumes.
There has been hardly any press, so far, around Insan's co-director Jeetu Arora or co-cinematographer Vineet Sapru, who come from fairly unknown TV backgrounds.
For at the heart of MSG is the seed of modern propaganda: Marshal McLuhan's 'The medium is the message'. Says Dr Aditya Insan, an ophthalmologist and Dera spokesperson, "When people see one person directing, acting, composing, singing and doing stunts, they will know what spirituality can achieve."
When Insan took over he was 23 and a mere sevakar at the Dera, which had a following of around 11 lakhs. He got his guru mantra from Singh when he was five. He thinks he was first aware of a larger divinity when he was a few months old and "a bird would come repeatedly into my room".
There are other stories around Insan's childhood, regurgitated by Dera members like mantras. He drove a tractor at the age of eight, inaugurated a reservoir that never goes dry and so on. And contemporary miracle tales. Dr Aditya believes Insan helped his father out of paralysis. "I don't care if they strip me of my medical degree for saying so." Another spokesman, Pawan Insan, claims his mother's gall bladder stones mysteriously ceased to be a problem.
These are augmented with accounts of scientific achievement. Primarily the Dera's meditation centres and campaigns against drug addiction and alcoholism but also blood donation drives, an eye bank, a subsidized hospital and schools and relief work. Also, refuge to acid attack victims, transgenders, and sex workers who wish to leave their trade. Last year, the Dera spent roughly Rs 72 crores, its accounts department says. The proceeds from MSG, says Dr Aditya, will go towards thalassemia and HIV research and treatment.
The Dera's assets are declared to be about Rs 240 crores. Other less advertised ventures, run on Dera land or with its support, include, reportedly, a small entertainment park, hotel, restaurant, TV channel, newspaper, magazine, shopping complex, wedding hall, petrol pump, cricket stadium, aloe vera and organic farms, factories and shops.
To fight controversy, you need a point of disassociation. Insan doesn't want to talk about the cases, because they're subjudice, but when I press him on Chhatrapati's murder he says they're registering names of people who take the Jaam-E-Insaan (a mix of milk, water and rose essence, an induction ritual) now, but didn't earlier. "I didn't even know the accused," Insan says. "I can't control every action of every follower." There are, apparently, things even Guruji or Ishwar can't help you with.
But to really fight controversy, you need enemies, real or imaginary. And alliances.
When I ask Dr Aditya about the cases he asks me to understand "geostrategy". "By destroying the Punjabis and the Haryanvis, the ISI and the Chinese may want to destroy India's martial races," he suggests. The narrative he implies is that Insan is fighting the good fight and so 'foreign hand' in collusion with drug lords, bootleggers, alcohol companies and corrupt politicians is attacking him.Going by the trailer, this narrative will occupy much of MSG. I ask Insan why he appears so violent. "Self defence," he says. "I take care to beat up those attacking me in such a way that they don't die."
He says the Dera is teaching many girls at his ashram self defence. They're teaching boys too. Also, the Dera has a 'political wing'. "This is not run by the Dera," says Insan. "But followers who said they wanted to be politically active." The point of dissociation returns. "I merely preside over meetings and read out names of those leading activities to check for objections."
Leaders of various political parties visit him. In 2007, Dera "satsangis" in Punjab supported Congress. On October 7, 2014, 44 of 90 BJP candidates in Haryana met Insan. Days later members of the Dera's political wing in Haryana were quoted supporting the party.
It won. Now, Insan is glad Prime Minister Narendra Modi is speaking of issues such as Swachch Bharat, female foeticide and drugs. "He's adopted the same issues I've been raising for so long now."
1.
Stills from the recently released trailer of MSG: The Messenger of God,
in which Insaan plays himself; 2. A family seeks the blessings of the
47-year-old head of Dera Sacha Sauda at a media event in Noida, Haryana
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