Bollywood's Thought on Health Ministry's 'No Drinking' stance

Health Ministry seems to be at it again. According to Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss, actors drinking on screen will encourage youngsters to take up the habit. Hence, scenes depicting alcohol consumption in films need to immediately stop.

The industry reacts

Farah Khan - Dear Mr. Ramadoss, what next? Should Superman stop flying because kids will imitate him? Should all heist films be banned next because people will start robbing banks? If all in our country imitated films then hockey should have become the favorite sport after Chak De India and really after watching Gandhi, our nation should have become non violent. It's very presumptuous of you to think that films only influence wrongly. You don't tell us how to do our job Mr. Ramadoss and we won't tell you how to do yours.

Abhay Deol - We're in the business of filmmaking. Films are about people. And there are all sorts of people and stories out there. Maybe for some, ignorance is bliss but I feel its better to be informed. And besides, aren't we a democracy?

Vishal Dadlani - I think they should stop picking on easy targets, and find some real issues to tackle. They just seem to be trying to get easy publicity by attacking the entertainment business. You can always tell when elections are around the corner by the increased frequency and vehemence of this sort of silliness!

Shekhar Ravjiani - Well, the way I see it is that there are many more things to tackle than this issue. On-screen drinking has been shown in Bollywood since many years. People are not crazy to put these scenes on purpose. It's a script requirement, a character requirement. But if the health minister thinks by putting a stop to this will help, I see no harm. It better help.

Sajid Khan - Its a fu**al suggestion. People do what people have to do. Movies are for entertainment and not a cure for a disease. Will they pass a rule saying ban oily foods in restaurants because more people die of cholesterol caused heart diseases than drinking! 1st ban 'ghee' and oil from food and then ban drinking from films!

Vikram Bhatt - The film industry seems like the easiest way to make headlines. When in need of headlines flog the films!

Kunal Shivdasani - No one lets reel life influence real life. What do you do as a filmmaker if you are doing a film like Devdas? You can't have your hero getting drunk on water or a 'sharbat' - the character demands consumption of alcohol to look real.

Imtiaz Ali - Shouldn't glorify it, else no problem to show drinking on screen.

Deepak Tijori - Please find him some work so that it can keep him occupied over more important issues rather than digging pot holes for the Film Industry. It is just a ploy to remain in news and get more publicity.

Manish Tiwary - I believe cinema needs creative freedom and the state should keep out of such simple matters. The ministry has been seeking unnecessary attention and one hopes it is 'politics of obfuscation' where they are using the issue to raise public awareness. Actually touching cinema will be dumb.

Nisha Rawal - Well I feel that suppression provokes aggression. Moreover, films are inspired by reality. Does no one from the health ministry drink?

Manoj Tyagi - Rather than being the so called moral guardians for the society, how about them looking within and curbing corruption and inflation. Also how about improving general public health services? Cooper, a free hospital doesn't have an ICU!

Sophie Chodhry - According to them, the people and youth of our country have no mind of their own. They only follow whatever we do in films especially the so called 'bad' habits. Don't you think its ridiculous to underestimate our people so much. And isn't it unfair to always make films the scapegoat?

Homi Adajania - Characters in films reflect our interpretations of people in real life. Now real life is full of flawed characters, which is what makes it interesting to begin with. So if a character does anything amoral, give the audience some credit to interpret the reason. No one has the right to herd an audience's intelligence. It's their choice!

Shirish Kunder- Mr. Ramadoss, since you are telling us how to do our job, let me please take the opportunity to tell you how to do yours. If you really have the BALLS, you should try and stop the supply of alcohol in the society, rather than trying to stop it in films. Films are only a REFLECTION of the society, and you seem to be more interested in the REFLECTION, rather than the actual SOURCE of the problem. So please concentrate on the SOURCE of the problem, and do your job. The censor board is already there to think of what is good and bad for films.

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