Condoling the death of the Delhi gang-rape victim, Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) Group President Parimal Nathwani, who is also a Rajya Sabha MP from Jharkhand, on Saturday demanded “stringent censorship” of films to prevent crime against women.

In a statement here, he said there was an urgent need to re-look films. Its laws also need to be reviewed threadbare. The way sex and crime are projected as an integral part of our cinema certainly has an adverse influence on the “illiterate and timid lots”, who are tempted to venture into such crimes.

“The souls with criminal mindsets get inspired by such scenes and commit crimes in the process of assuming themselves as the real filmy character.”

He also said that “while strict punishment for crimes against women is imperative to set deterrents in the system, at the same time stringent scrutiny of the sex, violence and crime related aspects in our cinema is also need of the hour.”

He described as rubbish the filmmakers’ claims that such scenes are added on the audience’s demand and said it holds no ground. The claims that the films reflect the happenings in society are also not true.

“What is needed is complete overhaul and restructuring of the censorship systems and laws, and reorganise it keeping broad societal interests in view.”

> virendra.pandit@thehindu.co.in

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