I&B minister reasserts stance against vulgarity, abusive language on OTT platforms

livemint.com:

OTT platforms. If there is a need to make any changes in the rules regarding this, the ministry is willing to consider that. These platforms were given freedom for creativity, not obscenity.

And when someone crosses a limit, then abusing, rudeness in the name of creativity cannot be accepted at all. Whatever necessary action needs to be taken on this, the government will not back down from doing so," Thakur had said at a press conference in Nagpur. In the past, the government has cracked down on web originals like Mirzapur and Tandav, both on Amazon Prime Video.

Regulation of web content was brought under the ambit of the I&B ministry and self-regulation bodies have been set up for the same. While speaking to pass the Cinematograph Amendment Bill, 2023, Thakur said the aim of the government is to tackle film piracy by instituting penal provisions for unauthorized cam-cording and duplication of films by making it a legal offence and punishing the offender with a fine. The Cinematograph Act, 1952 deals with provisions for the certification of cinematograph films for exhibition and for regulating exhibitions by means of cinematographs.

To be sure, the film industry was wary of a separate section of the Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, which would allow re-examining of films already passed by the censor board and the possibility of them not being cleared for release. Thakur said the censor board would remain an autonomous body and the revision committee too would consist of independent members. Moreover, film certification would now remain valid for perpetuity and films with ‘adult’ rating can now be aired on television with amendments.