Censorship Should Be Replaced with Accreditation: Goutam Ghose

Thiruvananthapuram: Renowned filmmaker and the sole Indian recipient of the Vittorio De Sica Award, Goutam Ghose, called for censorship to be replaced with accreditation during an exclusive interview at the 30th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) on Monday.

"Cinema is an individual’s freedom, inseparable from art,' Ghose said. “It is the essence of myriad experiences, which cannot be censored. Film suffers censorship more than any other form of art.” Belonging to the generation after Bengali greats like Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, and Ritwik Ghatak, Ghose credited them with shaping his own pursuit of a distinct cinematic narrative. He also noted that the cinematic renaissance of the 1950s and 60s fostered a lasting cultural exchange between Bengal and Kerala. Ghose spoke about his film Parikrama, which addresses "huge environmental displacement and human displacement' along the Narmada River, emphasising that today’s politics must recognise that "development has to be sustainable.' Having worked across Telugu (Maa Bhoomi), Bengali, and Hindi cinema, Ghose underlined that “the language of cinema is the most important thing” and is universal. He expressed a personal desire to one day make a film in Malayalam. To young filmmakers, Ghose offered both practical and philosophical guidance: “Keep your eyes open and your ears open. And be compassionate.”