MUMBAI: The Film & Television Producers Guild of India (Guild) voices its anguish against the proposed stoppage of the theatrical release of its members Dharma Productions’ film My Name is Khan by certain organizations/persons. The Guild is a representative body of entertainment industry stakeholders which encompasses the 3 principal vectors in the value chain – film and television production, distribution and exhibition.

The Guild is of the opinion that a film, once accorded the green signal by Censor Board, should be allowed an absolute and uninterrupted release, without the interference of any external authority. The Guild condemns such obstacles by certain elements propagating their agenda as it is an attack on the fundamental rights of freedom of expression which is enshrined in the Indian constitution.

The Guild supports the legitimate cause of its members since any kind of attempt to obstruct or impede the release of the film will transpire in huge financial loss to everyone concerned in the production-distribution-exhibition chain for no obvious fault of theirs. The Guild opines that even if these elements have reservations to certain statements quoted by the film’s lead actor which has no relation to the film whatsoever and have been taken out of context thereby making him a soft target. Also these statements should not provide them fodder or rationalize the logic of taking law in their own hands thereby needlessly making scapegoats of the film makers by stopping the transmission of the film to the viewing public.

The Guild thus endorses the view that once a film has been vetoed by the supreme certifying authority for films in India – the Censor Board, its release should not be at the mercy of certain organizations/persons attempting to justify their acts as comprehensible and acceptable from the nation’s perspective.