Another Bollywood tormentor

There is a government body called the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI). Its mandate is to, among other things, to “keep the law in force in India for the prevention of cruelty to animals under constant study and to advise the government on the amendments to be undertaken in any such law from time to time.” Taking a cue from activists, and like other government agencies, the board has sought to make its presence felt in the world of cinema.

So, according to the rules, a filmmaker has to seek the permission from the board before shooting, if in any shot an animal appears. Getting permission from sarkari organizations being a torturous process, many filmmakers have either avoided showing animals in movies or started shooting such scenes abroad. The Akhaya Kumar-starrer Entertainment, for instance, was entire shot in another country.

Now, the board has written to the Central Board for Film Certification that even for shooting of animals abroad would require approvals from the AWBI. A dog, in any other country, would still be a dog. An internationalist stand in these nationalist times.