Sanju, the upcoming biographical movie based on the life of Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt has been getting attention ever since it was announced.
From rumours of Madhuri Dixit featuring in it and more, Sanju, starring Ranbir Kapoor in the title role, has either impressed the viewers with its trailer and songs or made them roll their eyes at the bad impersonation.
Not long ago, a person got into a tussle with Rishi Kapoor, Ranbir’s father over some comments he made on his social media about not liking the movie Sanju.
Now, recently, a prison activist Prithvi Mhaske has also been offended by a glimpse of the prison time we saw in the trailer, particularly the toilet leak scene which he believes puts the Indian jails in a bad light.
What Is The Activist Saying?
Mhaske has filed a complaint with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) that the film is trying to show Indian jails in a wrong manner by making them out to be these dirty and ill-maintained places.
In his letter, as per sources, to Prasoon Joshi the chief of Censor Board, he said that, “In the trailer of the movie we have seen a scene that Sanjay Dutt was in such a barrack of a jail in which the toilet overflowed. As per the information available, the government and jail authorities are taking a very well care of all the barracks of the jails. We never heard any such incidents anywhere. Earlier as well many movies were released based on the gangsters wherein the jails were covered but never had seen such incidents.”
He further added that, “This particular scene will make a bad impression about the jails and jails authorities of the Indians.”
The letter ended with Mhaske saying that, “If there is no action about the same by you then we are left with no option to approach the honourable court to put stay on the release of the movie (sic).”
This has brought forward other prison reformists and activists too who assure that Indian jails are clean, hygienic and well-maintained. Vartika Nanda another prison reformist, stated that “There is no dedicated squad to clean prisons, and the inmates have to clean their cells themselves. But the toilet leakage scene (in the trailer) is an extreme case. The makers are trying to show the prisons in a negative light. Even in the ‘anda cell’, the conditions are not like how it has been shown.”
Read More: Life In Indian Prisons: Getting Pinched on Buttocks/Gang Influence/Horrible Food With Flies in It
What Is The Problem With The Scene?
To be honest, I understand where these activists are coming from, since you’d not really like something you are involved with to ever be shown in a bad light.
In a way, it can show Indian jails in a wrong light of being worse than they are and undermining all the work that goes in their upkeep.
But at the same time, I do not think there is anything wrong with showing such a scene since at the end of the day, a jail is a jail, not a 5 star resort where you get all the amenities.
Instead of glorifying jails, this scene is showing a stark reality, because we all know that not all jails are so well-maintained and the scene from Sanju is something that happens in several prisons.
A prison is a place where one goes after committing a ‘crime’ or a wrong doing that was so bad it affected a lot of people. It is not a place where you go to spend a weekend (unless you are Salman Khan) and live in luxury at.
In fact, this is actually showing Indian prisons as a fair and just place where everyone is equal and someone serving a punishment no matter what background they come from.
It shows that they don’t give preference or special treatment to someone just because they come from a privileged backgrounds.
This scene is also exactly why crime is going to be feared since it is only after putting such a graphic visual that people will realise that jail is not something trivial.
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: Hindustan Times, Firstpost, The Indian Express
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This is definitely going to be a great movie. We are doing our research about Sanjay Dutt and will soon be publishing a full story on this.
Sanju is one of the best movies I have watched. Ranveer Singh has really nailed in the role and the toilet scene really shows the tough life inside the jail.