is it just me, or is it getting crazier out there?
By: Adwait Vaishnavi
Tags: Government, Dissent, Joker, Violence, Cbfc

In what comes out as another act of safeguarding and censorship, the Film Certificate Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) has uploaded the two-page order issued by the Central Board Of Film Certification (CBFC) which bans the broadcast of ‘Joker’ on any Indian satellite television channel in India, due to the extremely violent nature of the film.

The order read, “Joker intensifies violence and in case the film is viewed by minors, it would have a long-lasting negative effect on their impressionable and growing minds.” In a bid to gain U/A certification, Turner International India Pvt. Ltd. had pushed for an edited version of the film, with 58 deliberate censors and deletions, to cut down on the violence being portrayed. The court, however, refused to budge and still deemed the film to be glorifying violence- an act that would leave questionable impressions on the young minds of the audience. “The film glorifies violence and in case it is seen by non-adults, it would have a lasting effect on their impressionable minds,” the order read. The order has been signed by the Chief Justice Manmohan Sarin, and FCAT members Shekhar Iyer and Madhu Jain. The Indian Audience was quick to react and took to Twitter to voice their angst. While some quickly pointed out the lack of fair ruling and discrimination towards Bollywood’s projection of violence, others pointed out how the ban barely does any good, as the movie shall still be streamed anytime on OTT platforms. The move, however, isn’t something that the Film Industry worldwide wasn’t anticipating. Exactly a year ago, on the 5th of October 2019, a cinema in California cancelled a screening of the Joker following a “credible” security threat. Talks of controversy surrounded the film the day it was released, as many who saw the film, quickly alleged association with the 2012 shooting massacre in Aurora, Colorado. Although the filmmakers maintained that their film had absolutely nothing to do with that incident, or the debate at that time surrounding gun violence in the United States, the law enforcement just wouldn’t buy it. On the 2nd of October 2019, the FBI went public, breaking its standard mode of operation, and announced its operation with other branches of law enforcement, to deal with the violence that was being predicted in association with the film. Incels, a controversial subset of involuntary celibate community found solace in the film. “While many Incels do not engage in violence, some within the community encourage or commit violent acts as retribution for perceived societal wrongdoing against them,” the bulletin says, according to ABC. “Some Incels attackers have claimed inspiration from previous mass shooters.” With so many factors to pay attention to and tangents of violence going back to recent years, the film did engage in controversy. Violence and mental disorders being the leading motives behind how the character panned out, raised questions, and brought to light the severity of personality alteration that takes place under such stressful conditions. The most gripping aspect of what makes this film increasingly personal, and rather psychotic, is its portrayal. Playing with intense drama without the cape and superpowers: keeping the antagonist so human, it meddles with the psyche and distorts the line between figments of imagination and actuality.