Censor boards are there not to ban films: Vithage

By our Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, April 11: Third Biswarat Dr. Bhupen Hazarika Intertiol Coordition Award- 2017 recipient and Sri Lankan filmmaker Prasan Vithage came sternly upon censor boards saying that such boards’ duty is restricted to rating and classification of films, not to ban them. 
“Boards can classify films for viewers – universal or adult – based on their contents. And accordingly they rate films, but can’t ban them. Back in Sri Lanka, filmmakers think this way,” he said.
The intertiol award winner filmmaker was the guest of the month at Guwahati Press Club today.
Vithage talked about myriad of topics, ranging from somewhat uneven political scene in his home country to those whom he got inspired from in filmmaking and life. The filmmaker rrated the effects of civil war which ended in 2008, wreaking the conscience of the general mass in SriLanka. “Sri Lankans suffered for 36 years, so did the minorities there. All citizens should have equal rights in Sri Lanka. Individuals in Sri Lanka lack any common tiol identity. They’re unlike Indians, who, in spite of having their separate regiol identities, identify themselves as Indians,” he said.
Vithage shared with newsmen as to how Indian regiol films influenced him. “I like the way Jahnu Baruah makes movies. The Catastrophe is one such movie. Gopalakrish from Kerela, Independent film makers of Mumbai, Guru Dutt’s Pyasa are my favourites,” he said, and added: “My mother is one of my greatest inspirations. She is one who guided me to what I am today. She used to provide me with books to read,” he mused.
Sharing his way of making movies, he said: “I just take into accounts the suffering of the common man when wars ravage a country, besides ravaging the dignities of its citizens as well.”
Vithage also discussed the issue of youths sticking to their smart phones rather than reading novels and preferring a Bollywood movie to a locally-made one. It is obvious due to globalization. Citing music maestro Bhupen Hazarika’s simplicity in his communication with people, the filmmaker said that writers should also be aware of what is happening in society to write a good script. The filmmaker said: “We’re in need of good writers, and regiol movies should find new avenues in digital streaming to commercialize.”
On a humourous note the Sri Lankan filmmaker said that his country is a tourist destition for Indians and the Mumbaikars like to chill out on the beaches.