Dear MOVIE PRODUCERS, DIRECTORS, SCRIPT WRITERS, and all free thinking individuals,
This may come as a shock to you but I wanted to address everybody concerned at one go!!
You all must have surely come across the news that I am planning to ban smoking in films and television serials.This personal letteris is just to emphasise our decisions!!
Come october 2nd and you have to make the following changes----
1) All movies that have smoking scenes will have a A certificate.
2)Actors who smoke on screen will have to come on screen before and after the screening saying smoking is bad.
3)A scroll will have to run during the scene telling about the ill effects of smoking.
You see, I think this is the only way we can provide better health to our youth!!
I know this ministry is flush with funds which can be used to better propogate this message by using different medias but then we will have to take in THE BIG INDUSTRIES and MNCs. I dont think we can do that as they are our biggest revenue generators and election fund suppliers!!!!!
Let your creative freedom be damned!!!!
I am a strong believer in stuffing this down your and in turn the viewers’ throats!!!
You may disagree with me but I think by this means alone we can have no more smokers in the society at large.
Just imagine the following scenarios-----
Winston Churchil without his trademark cigar !!
Ajit in Janjeer without a ciggarate in a ciggarate holder!!
Ashok Kumar and K. N. Singh not being hidden a cloud of smoke in Howrah Bridge!!!!
Dev Anand singing har phikar ko dhuyein me udata chala gaya in Hum Dono!!!
Sherlock Holmes without his customary pipe !!!
Do you think they loose their charm?? I dont think so!! And if you think so I dont care!!!
Smoking is dangerous to health I know and this is the only means available to root out this menace.
Of course there are other more effective means to let people of this but as I said earlier I will endangering my own and my party funds if I do that. I also know we carry out massive ad campaigns against tobaco companies.After all we can very well manage and use all the mass medias. But scaring you and making you accept this dictatorial dictat is much easier. After all you all have invested such massive funds in your productions, so it is easy to arm twist you all !!!
Todays youth can’t and should not take their own decisions.We are their moral and health police !!!!
You let me do this and I already have a lot many proposals lined up. Want to know what they may be??
To safeguard the moral and health fibre of the country all immoral and health hazardous activities on screen will be banned!! Like depiction of rape and eve teasing, drinking of liquor, theft and burglaries, murders, pre-marital and extra marital affairs will be deemed to be unfit for viewing!!!
Mogambo, Shaakal, Gabbar Singh will be lost to an avid film goer but do I care !!
My suggestion to you all is to make only mythologicals but that too without the Ravanas, Kansas !! You see if you show Ravana abducting Sita maiya it may instigate people to do the same !!!!!
THERE ARE ALWAYS GREY SHADES TO ANY PERSON BUT I DONT BELIEVE IT!!!!
Cinema and all performing arts are a reflection of the society they say but again I dont think so !!
Actually you all should have expected me to do this!! After all I have a penchant of doing such deeds . Remember how I meedled in the affairs of the working of the Dean of AIIMS????
Till we meet in person when this matter comes up for hearing in Supreme Court !!!! I know Mr.Mahesh Bhat has filed a petition.
Do you all know that this is the first of its kind of diktats in the world !!!
YOURS SMOULDERING
Mr.Ramadoss.
Min. of Health