When art comes under the scanner

We are a nation of extremes when it comes to the rules of censorship.

- Jitha Karthikeyan

We may have come a long way from the era where images of flowers blossoming gently but furiously were used as metaphors for wedding nights in our movies lest we imagine the unimaginable, while a skimpily clad vamp was allowed to seduce with raunchy item numbers. Yet, our peculiar standards of censorship still plays havoc in the creative lives of many of our citizens.

Art has never been censorship's favourite child. Instead, it has often been thrashed and given a raw deal by the custodians of these controls. A recent case that came up in the High Court is proof enough.