‘I am very disillusioned.’ India’s film censor quits over ‘MSG’

India’s film censor board chief Leela Samson quit her post on Friday after a government tribunal reversed the board’s decision to prevent the release of a film about a Sikh religious leader for portraying him as a god, which they fear could offend other Sikhs.

Samson accused the government of coercion and interference in the censor board’s affairs in interviews with several publications and with Reuters. Rajyavardhan Rathore, minister of state for information and broadcasting, denied this charge, which came to a head over the film “MSG: Messenger of God.” Other members of the board are expected to quit.

The filmmakers appealed the censor board’s decision to the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal, which approved its release. It is unknown why the appeals board approved the film, which Samson says was granted in 24 hours instead of the usual period of weeks. The censor board issues certificates that are required for public film distribution in India. It is authorized to order directors to remove material that it considers offensive.

In the film, the self-anointed “MSG,” Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh not only stars, but is credited as co-director, writer, music composer and co-cinematographer.

Here are excerpts from Samson’s comments to Reuters:

On “undermining” by the government:

It is completely disheartening and I am very disillusioned. “MSG” was the last straw, but this body has been undermined by the government for a long time now. There has actually been no board, because we haven’t met for a very long time. We are not acknowledged, we are not invited for meetings, we are not consulted on matters that concern us. Why keep the Censor Board in that case? Just scrap it, if this is how things are going to be.