Need certification, not censoring: Amitabh Bachchan on Udta Punjab row

Amitabh Bachchan joined filmmakers like Mahesh Bhatt and others who came out in support of the film produced by Anurag Kashyap.

Superstar Amitabh Bachchan on Wednesday spoke out about the controversy surrounding upcoming Bollywood film Udta Punjab. In Kolkata to promote his upcoming film TE3N, the veteran actor reminded that one should not "kill creativity" for the sake of censorship.

KILLING CREATIVITY WILL KILL OUR SOUL

"Don't try and kill creativity. If you kill creativity, you kill the soul," Bachchan said.  "I know there are rules and regulations and that's something that the government must decide. But as artists, as creative people, all I can say is don't kill creativity," he added.

BOLLYWOOD UNITES TO SUPPORT UDTA PUNJAB

This comes on a day when the producers of Udta Punjab moved court against the Central Board of Film Certification's decision seeking a change in the title along with 89 cuts in the film. The actor joined filmmakers like Mahesh Bhatt and others who came out in support of the film produced by Anurag Kashyap, Ekta Kapoor and others.

"We have all encountered such issues, there are rules and there are provisions. One can go to the courts. But the problem is that the censor portion comes right at the time of release and it then sets you back," Bachchan said.

CERTIFICATION OVER CENSORSHIP

In a digital age where everything is accessible online, the veteran actor stressed on the need for certification rather than censorship as the final choice rests with the audience. "I hope we can devise a system where there's certification rather than censoring," he said.