Underage girl in Chennai elopes with boyfriend, gets pregnant; HC summons CBFC after she blames movies

The Madras High Court has summoned the censor board after a minor girl from Chennai, who eloped with her boyfriend and got pregnant, blamed local movies for her actions.

Following the allegation, the high court has sent a summons to the heads of the censor board, that certifies South Indian movies, asking for an explanation.

The allegation on local cinema and the CBFC has led to strong reactions from the film fraternity and former members of the board. 

"This is a very old argument. If someone murders somebody and then blames films for it, who is at fault? Everybody needs a reason to blame films, but the society and films share a symbiotic relationship. Filmmakers do not concoct things out of thin air, but show what is happening in the society. Their (South Indian cinema) scenes are bold and they don't shy away from showing flesh; they are liberal that way. Summoning them is fine, but they cannot be held responsible," Deccan Chronicle quoted former CBFC member Nandini Sardesai as saying.

Film-maker Onir opined that it is the person who impregnated the minor should be blamed and not cinema or CBFC. "It's idiotic that something of this sort is being considered. Honestly, I don't understand how watching a film can get someone pregnant. I agree that films are a powerful medium and that they should be censored when they propagate regressive trends, hatred, and violence. In this case, the person who should have been held responsible is the one who impregnated the girl, and not the members of the certification board. We no longer will continue to be a democracy if people continue to misinterpret films, and we summon the members of the certification board," he said.

Earlier in 2015, an Indian in Australia was charged for stalking two women but was spared conviction by the court after he had argued that he was influenced by Bollywood movies.