Will Shabana wield the censor's scissors now?

It looks like Shabana Azmi is all set to take over as the chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification in India. Sharmila Tagore, the current CBFC chief, will complete her term soon."A final decision on whether the information and broadcasting ministry will reappoint Tagore is yet to be taken. If she is not brought back, Shabana Azmi is a prime contender for the post, along with Gulzar," said a source.At the moment, the balance is tipped in Azmi's favour. A source feels that writer filmmaker-poet Gulzar, known for his reclusive ways, may not be willing to take up a public office.The source said Azmi, a five- time National Award- winning actor, has the right profile to head the board. "Azmi is a respected name in the film industry and represents quality in films at its best, with her years of association with relevant and artistic cinema. She would be the right person to usher in necessary changes and give Indian cinema a mature direction," added the source. CBFC is a statutory body under the I& B ministry that regulates public screening of films in India under the provisions of the Cinematograph Act 1952. Any film intended for a commercial theatrical release in the country has to be certified by the board before its screening.As chairman of the board, Azmi will head a team comprising nonofficial members appointed by the Centre and out of the board's headquarters at Mumbai. The censor board has drawn flak, especially from filmmakers who pursue arthouse and realistic cinema.Recently, director Sudhir Mishra openly criticised the board for issuing an adults only certification for his new film, Yeh Saali Zindagi. The basic reason why the film was issued an A certificate was reportedly the word ' saali ' in the title. Mishra argues that the word had stopped being used as an abuse in India.Filmmakers such as Anurag Kashyap and Madhur Bhandarkar, who are known to pursue realistic subjects, have regular run- ins with the boards over cuts demanded in their films.Azmi's taking over as the censor board chief, many feel, would work in favour of promoting unflinching reality in India cinema. Having emerged from the offbeat stream in Bollywood, Azmi, it is believed, would be sympathetic to such efforts.