Whose Movies Are They Anyway?

AMESH Sharma's 1986 film, New Delhi Times, is often cited as the best Hindi film on media and on the dubious linkages between politics, business, crime and corruption.

- NAMRATA JOSHI

AMESH Sharma's 1986 film, New Delhi Times, is often cited as the best Hindi film on media and on the dubious linkages between politics, business, crime and corruption. The story of an honest journalist, Vikas Pande (Shashi Kapoor) who finds himself in an ethical quandary for having been used unawares by the shady political establishment, New Delhi Times won three national awards—for the best debut film, actor and cinematographer. However, it proved too hot to handle in its times by the distributors and Doordarshan for its portrayal of political assassination and instigation of riots, leading to several disruptions to its screenings.

Its recent official reappearance online has also proven to be contentious because of the voluntary censorship of content by the platform Shemaroome.com, that too without having taken the filmmaker into confidence. Another official print on the YouTube channel called Kapoors of Bollywood has since been taken down.