‘A woman’s viewpoint in every walk of life is necessary’ – Raisa Adil

woman @ work

In Pakistan, film censorship, the control of the content and presentation of a film, has always been the department associated with men. But for the very first time, a woman has been appointed as Chairperson of the Central Board of Film Censors (CBFC). Raisa Adil, already working in the information department, has taken this additional charge of heading the board recently.

Raisa Adil is a senior civil servant from the Information Group. She carries more than 20 years experience of dealing with media stakeholders. She has lead Press Information Department, Directorate of Electronic Media & Publication, Audit Bureau of Circulation and brought innovative changes. Raisa Adil has also worked with international organisations like World Bank, USAID, and EU for bringing reforms in Education Sector in Sindh.

Headquartered in Islamabad, we met Raisa Adil at her office for a detailed discussion about her responsibilities in the Central Board and her perspective on film censorship from a woman’s point of view. Read on...

You! How do you feel after becoming the first woman chairperson of CBFC?

Raisa Adil: It is exciting and overwhelming at the same time. As they say with great power comes great responsibility, so I feel responsible more than ever. However, I am excited to explore the new world as a chair of the Censor Board and yes, I am enjoying it.

You! Being a female head of the board, do you keep a woman’s perspective while watching and censoring films?

RA: I believe a woman’s perspective is very important and the need of the hour, as 51 per cent of the population of Pakistan consists of females. We can’t marginalise them. Moreover, I believe that women are more sensitive and aware of social issues. So, a woman’s viewpoint in every walk of life is necessary, and I feel myself lucky that I was given the responsibility to practice it in my field.

You! Are you a movie buff?

RA: Yes, I am very fond of watching films. To me, it means exploring a new concept or idea. I am happy that now, as a chairperson of CBFC, I will be able to watch more movies. What more do you want, when your joy becomes your work too.

You! All over the world, censor boards are transforming into certification boards. Is there any chance of this change in Pakistan, as well?

RA: Of course, this will soon be a reality. We are planning to make it a certification process. Honestly speaking, when we say the word censor, it sounds like something is going to be banned while certification is more practical and progressive. Moreover, when we ban or restrict something through censorship, it gets more hype due to social media and people are more keen to watch the banned movies.

You! What would be the categories of certification?

RA: Certification would be issued in four categories; Family Certification, Parental Guidance, Universal Certification and Adult Category.

You! Our filmmakers often have complaints from the Censor Board, how are you going to deal with their grievances?

RA: I hope there will be no more complaints now. In this regard, I have already met many filmmakers, producers and distributors. So, these connections are already there and would be strengthened in future. I believe many issues and problems can be solved through discussion and mutual understanding.

You! There is a general concept that the Censor Board is lenient with Hollywood films, while it is pretty harsh when it comes to censoring Pakistani films. How true is that?

RA: No, this is not the case. Actually, it is the difference of audience and a mindset. English moviegoers have a different mindset and have a comparatively broader perspective. Whereas, when we censor Urdu or regional films, we have to keep a certain code of conduct in mind according to our social norms and standards.

You! What are your future plans, as far as the performance of the Censor Board is concerned?

RA: In this regard, we have started taking steps. The first is renovation of the cinema hall in the censor board building. It was already there for the purpose of censoring films. It stopped functioning when films began to be made on Digital Cinema Package (DCP) format, as the system didn’t have the projector that runs a DCP print. So, we have to hire different cinemas to watch films for censorship, which sometimes creates a conflict of interest and other problems. Now, the cinema hall at CBFC office has been completed and soon DCP will be placed too. I hope this will solve many problems related to the process of censoring. Another step to enhance the performance of the censor board, is to increase its social media presence. At the moment, it is not up to the requirement but we are working on it.