This news follows a strange tug of war between SGRRSJI's film and the censor board. MSG was previously denied a censor certificate, which would bar it from playing in cinema halls or on Indian TV, due to their assertion that SGRRSJI's film shows him as God and performing miracles, and their belief that the film was little more than a feature length infomercial for his cult. SGRRSJI has come under fire outside of the cinema sphere recently for accusations that his organization has coerced male members to be castrated in an effort to be "closer to god." That court case is still pending.
The CBFC's ban was met with a challenge by the filmmakers, after which it was denied a certificate a second time. Following that challenge, the filmmakers took their challenge to the FCAT, who today came out with the plan that MSG would make a few voluntary cuts, no specifics on those yet, and be in cinema halls by next weekend, January 23rd. The news infuriated CBFC chairperson Leela Samson, who has accused the government of meddling in CBFC affairs. Samson tendered her resignation when the news went public, and it is expected that several CBFC members will follow her out the door.
The irony is that in their efforts to keep the film from cinema screens, the CBFC have inadvertently provided the kind of free press coverage that would be any marketing agency's wet dream. The film, which was little more than a goofy looking blip on most Indian's radars, is now an event, not altogether unlike the viral blitz that followed James Franco and Seth Rogen's The Interview.
It's hard to think of this as anything but a win for free speech in India, even the kind that we don't like. However, I can't help thinking what the reaction would be if, say, David Koresh made a movie with a Hollywood budget and marketed it to mainstream audiences. Any thoughts?