KOCHI: In yet another jolt to the Mollywood, which is mired in a big controversy after the upload of mega hit film ‘Premam’ on the Internet, the censoring of Malayalam films has been stopped for an indefinite period allegedly as a protest against the anti-piracy cell which does not ‘respect’ the sanctity of the office.
Regional Officer Prathibha told Express that the censoring process would resume only after getting a clearance from the Central office. “As an office working under the Cinematograph Act, we have to abide by the rules and regulations laid down by our Central office. We had conveyed the terms and conditions when the copy of the film is taken out of the office and had promised that it would be produced in the court.
However, the anti-piracy cell team seized the copy from the office in a raid conducted without respecting the norms and our concerns,” she said.
“Moreover, we have to address some points raised by the cell about the manner in which we store the copies of the films after censoring. As the regional officer, I have a concern over the reputation of the office.
Now, I will send my report to the Central office on the issue and the process will continue after we receive a reply from the higher-ups. This will be good for all, including the Board members as well as the producers,” she added.
There was no censoring of films at the regional office in Thiruvananthapuram from July 6 after the controversy over ‘Premam’ reached the doorstep of the office. The allegation is that the leaked version had a water mark of the Board (censor copy.) However, the regional office had on Friday scheduled the screening of the film ‘Valiya chirakulla pakshikal,’ for July 14 after Express reported the issue and the trouble faced by its director, Dr Biju.