India orders blocking of 25 streaming platforms for ‘obscene content', source says
Besides 'ALTT', other streaming platforms that were also banned were smaller, including players such as Ullu and Hulchul, according to the government official.
India has previously told streaming platforms, including Netflix, Disney and others, that their content should be independently reviewed for obscenity and violence before being shown online.
Top Bollywood movie stars have featured in online movies and television series, some of which have faced criticism from lawmakers and the public for scenes deemed vulgar or offensive to religious sentiments.
'ALTT' had more than 1 million subscriptions in financial year ended March, and generated about 202.6 million Indian rupees in revenue during the year, Balaji Telefilms said earlier this month.
'ALTT' owner Balaji Telefilms said in an exchange filing that the government order would have no significant impact on the company.
The government issued communications to all 25 streaming platforms last September to take down content deemed obscene, but they remained online, the official with India's information ministry, who did not want to be named, said.
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Express Tribune
2 days ago
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Hollywood vs censorville
A rude emoji was replaced with a politer one in F1: The Movie. Photo: File Film fans in India were outraged to learn that a 33-second kiss scene in Superman was shortened to just a few seconds by their country's censors. Despite the film's 13+ rating, India's Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) felt compelled to sanitise the embrace they described as "overly sensual." When it was created through the Cinematograph Act of 1952, the CBFC's official mandate was to certify films according to age categories, but it has since become notorious for its role as a censor. Recent examples of alterations in major Hollywood productions include replacing a middle-finger emoji appearing in F1: The Movie with a fist emoji. Swear words were muted in Marvel's Thunderbolts and Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning. In Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer (2023), the Indian board had Florence Pugh's nudity covered up with a digitally inserted CGI dress. "If a scene is meant for mature audiences, it should simply be placed in the appropriate category," argued writer Disha Bijolia in Indian online magazine Homegrown. "Instead, the CBFC repeatedly interferes with a filmmaker's vision — cutting into plots, disrupting emotional arcs, and flattening the intent behind entire narratives." Satisfying demand Along with the widespread censorship method of simply banning films, releasing alternate versions of movies is also well established in many countries beyond India. Authoritarian states know that even if a film is banned, it can still circulate illegally, which motivates them to distribute their own "more appropriate" versions of the works. Way before AI-created imagery became widely available, Iran had already equipped the country's censors with new digital technology by 2010, allowing them to tweak dialogues and images that didn't conform to Islamic modesty. The approach is detailed in an 2012 article in The Atlantic, which also shows stills comparing how the original scenes were retouched in the Iranian versions: Women simply disappear from the frame, or their neckline is covered up with a clunky vase. Even Will Ferrell's crotch is hidden behind a wall in the motorsports comedy Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006). Drugs not okay Even though many major Hollywood studios no longer distribute their films in Russia since it launched its full-scale war on Ukraine in 2022, there are still some Western films appearing in the country's cinemas or on streaming platforms. One recent example of a film that circulated in an altered version was the award-winning US film Anora (2024). Censors simply zoomed into various scenes to crop out the depictions of characters using drugs, as shown by independent Russian-language news site Meduza. Meanwhile, the film's nude scenes featuring the stripper played by Mikey Madison were left untouched. A film like Anora would never air on Turkish television. Under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's conservative AKP government, around 95 per cent of the media landscape has been brought into line with their conservative guidelines. Broadcasters mainly avoid sex scenes and portrayals of LGBTQ+ characters. Historical topics seen as promoting "anti-Turkish rhetoric" can be particularly contentious. Cigarettes and alcohol are also blurred on TV, with some stations coming up with creative solutions to cover up the items. Meanwhile, some Hollywood studios have released their own self-censored versions to circumvent bans and blurs. Sony Pictures supplied an alternate version of Blade Runner 2049 to Turkey and other non-Western markets, removing or cropping scenes showing nudity, as film critic Burak Göral first noted. Turkey's Film Critics Association (S?YAD) issued an open letter condemning the censorship, noting that the cuts were "an insult to moviegoers in Turkey." Accessing China China is renowned for banning and shortening films, too. Official censorship guidelines prohibit, among other things, the "promotion of cults or superstition." The 2016 Ghostbusters reboot thus failed to be released in the country despite being retitled Super Power Dare Die Team. Surprisingly, Disney's Coco, which centers on the Mexican Day of the Dead, was authorised a year later. Major productions that have been altered by China's censors include the 2012 James Bond film, Skyfall. A scene in which a Chinese security guard is killed was completely cut out because it suggested that China is unable to protect its own territory from foreign agents. In other "controversial" scenes, the subtitles differed from what was actually been said on screen. In the famous portrait scene in James Cameron's Titanic 3D (2012), Kate Winslet was cropped up to her chin to hide her nudity. "Considering the vivid 3D effects, we fear that viewers may reach out their hands for a touch and thus interrupt other people's viewing," a Chinese official explained. In 2022, social media users widely mocked the censors' alternate ending for Minions: The Rise of Gru. In the original version, villains Gru and Wild Knuckles evade capture by authorities after the latter fakes his own death. But through a series of subtitled stills that were widely compared to a PowerPoint presentation for their poor quality, the Chinese version had Wild Knuckles arrested and imprisoned for 20 years; he starts a theater troupe in jail. Gru is portrayed as simply "returning to his family," with being a father becoming his "biggest accomplishment." Hollywood studios have also been releasing their own alternate versions of movies in China to avoid state censorship — and the PowerPoint slides. The country began allowing a limited number of Hollywood films per year into the country in 1994, and as major studios increasingly competed to gain access to the restricted and lucrative slots, they also started tailoring their stories to please a Chinese market of some 1.4 billion people. A 2020 report by nonprofit organisation PEN denounces the growing trend of producers willingly altering their films for Beijing's censors: Hollywood filmmakers "are making difficult and troubling compromises on free expression," it stated. Iron Man 3 (2013) is a prominent case highlighting this approach. While altered films typically lose runtime, four minutes of extra content were added to the Marvel blockbuster, with exclusive scenes featuring Chinese star Fan Bingbing and actor Wang Xueqi, as well as scenes promoting a local milk brand. In the Chinese version, the beverage helps Iron Man/Tony Stark recover from an injury.
Business Recorder
2 days ago
- Business Recorder
India orders blocking of 25 streaming platforms for ‘obscene content', source says
India has ordered blocking public access to 25 streaming platforms, including Balaji Telefilms -owned 'ALTT' for alleged obscene, vulgar and in some cases, pornographic content, a government official said on Friday. Besides 'ALTT', other streaming platforms that were also banned were smaller, including players such as Ullu and Hulchul, according to the government official. India has previously told streaming platforms, including Netflix, Disney and others, that their content should be independently reviewed for obscenity and violence before being shown online. Top Bollywood movie stars have featured in online movies and television series, some of which have faced criticism from lawmakers and the public for scenes deemed vulgar or offensive to religious sentiments. 'ALTT' had more than 1 million subscriptions in financial year ended March, and generated about 202.6 million Indian rupees in revenue during the year, Balaji Telefilms said earlier this month. 'ALTT' owner Balaji Telefilms said in an exchange filing that the government order would have no significant impact on the company. The government issued communications to all 25 streaming platforms last September to take down content deemed obscene, but they remained online, the official with India's information ministry, who did not want to be named, said.
Express Tribune
3 days ago
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Karan Aujla spots Pakistan flag at concert, says ‘We are one nation, one blood'
In a world often divided by borders and politics, it is heartening when art reminds us of our shared humanity. Amid ongoing India-Pakistan tensions, Punjabi singer-rapper Karan Aujla has offered a refreshing gesture of unity by acknowledging his cross-border fanbase. During a recent overseas concert, Aujla gave a shoutout to a fan waving the Pakistani flag in the crowd. 'Our brothers from Pakistan are also here. We are the same. We are one nation, one blood,' he said, prompting thunderous applause and cheers from the audience. During a recent overseas concert, Aujla gave a shoutout to a fan waving the Pakistani flag in the crowd. Fans from both countries responded warmly to Aujla's words. One Instagram user commented, 'Indian artists have a big heart,' while others filled the comment section with green heart emojis; a symbolic gesture of peace and solidarity. However, the moment did stir debate online. Some expressed concern over the artist's safety, writing: 'Indian government might give him a hard time now,' and 'Wait till he gets trolled for it in India.' Others dismissed the sentiment outright, countering with comments like: 'We are not one nation or one blood,' and 'We are totally different from each other.' One user went so far as to suggest Aujla should 'just shift to Pakistan' if he feels such kinship. Yet amidst the criticism, a few users saw an opportunity for bridge-building, urging the singer to share this spirit of unity with Indian politicians so that they might become more open-minded. Karan Aujla joins a small but growing list of Indian artists who have spoken out against cultural bans on Pakistani talent. Not long ago, Diljit Dosanjh faced backlash for appearing opposite Pakistani actor Hania Aamir in a film. Defending the collaboration, Dosanjh explained: 'When the movie was filmed in February, things were okay. Then things between the two countries escalated, which were not in our hands. I support the decision to release the movie overseas as valuable money and hard work went into it.' Following that statement, the singer-actor was targeted by online calls for a boycott. The Federation of Western India Cine Employees also urged action against him, claiming he had hurt national sentiments. His film Sardaar Ji 3 was eventually banned in India due to the involvement of a Pakistani actor. Have something to add to the story? Share it in the comments below.
