I&B Ministry Lifts Smoking Ban
India’s Information & Broadcasting Ministry has cancelled the proposed ban of smoking in Indian TV and movies, stating that the ban is “neither feasible nor entirely desirable.” A senior I&B official said that banning smoking is impractical for technical reasons, and also threatens creative freedom. The I&B noted that it is very difficult to erase smoking scenes in old films (as the ban would have required), and it is entirely impossible to edit smoking from live events as time would be lost.
It’s interesting to note that at one point, the ministry insisted that smoking scenes in old movies and TV shows should be accompanied by scrolling text at the bottom of the screen reading “cigarette smoking is injurious to health.” Many journalists have called the idea “bizzare,” which is probably an understatement.