11 October, 2009

Living Puritanically.

The following is an excerpt from (Senior counsel Supreme Court of India) Soli J. Sorabjee’s Soliloquies in the Sunday Express of the 11th October : Pre -censorship of Nehru Edwina Movie.
At long last the film Nehru – Edwina has been okayed by the Government of India. It is reported that the ministry of Information and Broadcasting had called for a copy of the film’s script and asked the producers to tone down some intimate scenes featuring Nehru and Edwina. If true this is deplorable pre – censorship. And pray what are intimate scenes? Holding hands, or lying in each other’s arms or kissing and embracing? Such scenes depict deep mutual affection and do not necessarily have sexual implications. If Nehru, a warm blooded Kashmiri, were passionately fond of Edwina, does that diminish his stature as a great national leader? No mature, balanced person would think so except those who are obsessed with sex and discern it in every physical act or gesture. In the past publication of letters by Netaji Subash Chandra Bose to his close friend Emile Schenold evoked vociferous protests.
Are we living in the puritanical reign of Oliver Cromwell? For God’s sake grow up.
My question to the interested readers is that, do the above apply to all presently married warm blooded people or to the so called Great National leaders only?

7 comments:

Kamini said...

Sadly, we continue to be as stupidly puritanical as ever about our leaders, thinking of them not as normal human beings with normal emotions and failings, but as some sort of gods who reproduce through spontaneous combustion. Showing their "human" side is hardly being disrespectful to them.

Nebu said...

Kamini, is this your real name or pseudo name? I am thrilled to read your comment if as I presume you are a woman. I thought almost every female disapproved peccadillo!

Kamini said...

Nebu, your comment made me laugh! No, that is my real name, and I am a woman, and I don't "approve" of peccadilloes! I am just realistic about their existence, and hushing things up and pretending that they are not taking place is being foolish, I think!

Nebu said...

Can't add anything more to it. Have to be politically correct :)

Ashvin said...

Hmm just the day before yesterday my better half and I had a similar argument on the same topic (not about Nehru/Edwina though).

Remembering that discretion is the better part of valour, I chose to quietly retreat, to fight another day.

Nebu said...

AB, Can’t stop smiling. Strategic retreat. I learned it the hard way.

Meera's World said...

I hope the censor board uses their sense in controlling the ever growing violence in almost every movie nowadays. The board appears to be more concentrated on scenes of sex in a movie than using their scissors to cut off the unbearably horrible violent scenes. Let the Nehrus and Edwinas kiss or hug or do even more, those acts certainly will not be as damaging to the society as the violent scenes.
I remember watching the movie Lady Chatterley’s lover a couple of months back. I haven’t read the book yet, which is a shame I know. Sex is shown so beautifully in that movie. You wouldn’t feel like squirming in your seat and keep looking around to see if someone else is watching those scenes.
Some movies make it look way too obvious. I loved the book Name sake and was eagerly waiting to watch the movie. But, I felt they could have made some of those intimate moments with the hero and heroine, appear more natural than showing some body parts here and there.
It makes me laugh is when I see some people who acts as the guardian angels of morality, and at the same time also engage in every possible acts of pleasure in secret. Some don’t even realize or doesn’t want to admit the fact that we are all in this world as a result of that pleasure .I am not saying we should have it in public but we shouldn’t also forget the fact that it’s a normal thing that happens to all living things, mostly I guess….
why do we need to have too many controls and curtains when it comes to sex. Let it be there on the side track …