Tibetan activists upset over Rockstar ‘edit’ by Censor Board

November 11, 2011 - 12:47 PM IST

Just when Ranbir Kapoor was hailed as the literal 'Rockstar' of Bollywood, his film by the same title ran into problem. The reason? Well, readers maybe aware of the fact that the film was dodged in a controversy as it showed the Tibetan flag and 'Free Tibet' slogan in the backdrop of one of its song 'Sadda Haq' to which the Censor Board objected. The Censor Board's decision to chop off the scene from the film however has now invited the ire of Tibetans across India.

In accordance to that, a meeting was held yesterday at the Press Club (Mumbai) wherein the members of the Students for a Free Tibet (SFT), India chapter and the famous Tibetan writer and activist Tenzin Tsundue expressed their displeasure and dissatisfaction over the censor board's move. Talking about the issue, Tenzin Tsundue said that in his meeting with Censor Board's CEO Pankaja Thakur and J.P. Singh (Regional Officer), they said that any material, which can create a strain between India and its neighboring countries, can be edited out. Tsundue also added that since Imtiaz Ali, the director of the movie, had clearly stated that Rockstar isn't a political film; they failed to understand the relevance of the edit. He added that the censor people said that the director had voluntarily agreed to delete the scene. Meanwhile, Dorjee Tseten (of SFT India) expressed his displeasure by saying that this act has deeply hurt Tibetan sentiments since the dream of free Tibet has been nurtured in India. He also added that, they felt hugely letdown as their excitement that a Bollywood flick bringing the Tibetan message to the fore, has now hit a roadblock.

Tibetan activists upset over Rockstar ‘edit’ by Censor Board

To highlight the crisis, a monk had set himself on fire in Kathmandu yesterday. As a mark of protest, the activists have decided that they would be carrying Tibetan flags during the premieres of the movie and at various theatres.