The Government of India plans to ban smoking in films and TV!! While I certainly agree with the theory that celebreties smoking on screen do influence young kids, I think its absolutely ridiculous to impose a ban of this kind. Why not attack the source, the tobacco companies! Increase the taxes, limit availability, restrict the sales, educate people on the negative effects of smoking etc etc. Movies are a medium of mass communication and should be allowed reasonable creative freedom as long as it is within the norms of decency (for which the censor board is already in place).
p.s: The Health Minister, Anbumani Ramadoss is from the anti-Rajnikanth (Tamil superstar know for his cigarrette flicks!) camp and this might have something to do with it?
Pakora Korner 