Licences of 2 more "vulgar" plays revoked

MUMBAI, April 15: Even as the Stage Performances Scrutiny Board (SPSB) revoked the performing licences of two more Hindi plays following ord...

MUMBAI, April 15: Even as the Stage Performances Scrutiny Board (SPSB) revoked the performing licences of two more Hindi plays following orders of Minister of Culture Pramod Navalkar to clamp down on vulgar stage acts, the minister today announced the institution of an award in memory of the king of double entendre, Dada Kondke.

While the genius of Dada Kondke as a film-maker of excellence cannot be questioned, what is surprising is Mr Navalkar’s double standards on the issue of vulgarity, which he has vowed, will be weeded out of all public performances. Navalkar announced the institution of the award of Rs 25,000 for the best rural film in both Houses of the state legislature.

The minister has particularly targetted rock concerts saying every word of the songs would henceforth be screened by the government before allowing any shows and has also ruled out the annual Independence rock this year. Taking cue from him, the SPSB today cancelled the licence for two more dramas.

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The two bedroom farces to comeunder the chopping block are Bambai Ki Hava Kargayi Tabah and the Marathi play Baiko Peksha Mehuni Bari (Sister-in-law’s better than the wife). With this, the number of sex comedies on which the board has cracked its whip has gone up to nine. The earlier seven plays to have been thus censored were: Saali Poori Gharwaali, Parayi Nari Lage Pyari, Pati Anadi Devar Khiladi, Pati Ke Premi, Ladki Jawaan Padosi Pareshaan, Pati Naram Naram Patni Garam Garam and Circus.

"We’ll revoke performing licences of more plays in the coming days, because a lot of vulgarity has crept into such shows. As per Mr Navalkar’s directions, we have also decided to pull up plays with lewd or double-meaning titles," the chairman of SPSB, Shantaram Nandgaonkar said today.

Mumbai police too will no longer be able to give a ticket-selling licence for any stage performance without obtaining a suitability certificate from the Board. "On May 10, all board members will be meeting in Kolhapur to finalise our reporton vulgar and obscene plays, and we’ll inform the minister about the same," Nandgaonkar informed.

Nandgaonkar added he mostly had to rely on citizens’ complaints about the plays, because whenever any board member went to inspect, the producers would revert to a decent and soft show. "However, many citizens have informed me these plays are hot like mirchi (chilly). So we have to take action," he said.

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Asked how Dada Kondke could earlier get away with double entendre, Nandgaonkar replied: "No point raking up the past. Kondke had mainly entertained poor villagers in rural areas. Now we not only want to check obscenity, but also prevent derogatory references to national and religious figures, which may cause a flare-up." Though the producers of the banned plays weren’t available for comment, many of the regulars to these shows agreed a lot of pornography was on display.