Prominent Hindu seer sets up 'Dharma Censor Board' to 'monitor' content in films, serials

'The Board will keep a close watch on the anti-Sanatan Dharma content in the films, TV serials, web series and documentaries,' he said

A prominent Hindu seer has set up a 'Dharma (religion) Censor Board'' to 'monitor' the content of the Bollywood films, serials, documentaries and web series to ascertain if it, in any way, insults the 'Sanatan Dharma'.

The Shankaracharya of Jyotish Peeth Swami Avimukteshwaranand announced the formation of the ''Dharma Censor Board'' in the religious town of Prayagraj on Thursday. He also issued the guidelines to be followed by films and other entertainment media.

''The Board will keep a close watch on the anti-Sanatan Dharma content in the films, TV serials, web series and documentaries...the guidelines to be followed by the producers will soon be sent to them,'' the Shankaracharya told reporters in Prayagraj.

The Board would have 11 members and Avimukteshwaranand would be its patron. The other members, who have been nominated in the Board, included Swami Chakrapani Maharaj and others from different fields. ''These members will watch the first show of the films and ascertain if they have any content that insults Sanatan Dharma..... the Board will demand removal of the content which will be deemed to be anti-Sanatan Dharma,'' the seer said.

The Board members would also see the first show of Shahrukh Khan-Deepika Padukone's yet-to-be-released movie Pathan, which was in controversy over a song. The saffron outfits and seers had called for 'burning' the theatres where it was screened. The saffron activists had also burnt effigies of SRK-Deepika in different parts of Uttar Pradesh recently.

He said that the Board would seek to act as a guide to the government, filmmakers and other agencies and advise them on the content related to Sanatan Dharma. The Board would also issue certificates to the films after watching them.

The formation of the Dharma Censor Board comes close on the heels of protests by saffron outfits over a song in Pathan featuring SRK and Deepika. Madhya Pradesh minister Narottam Mishra had called for banning the movie and had taken strong exception to one of the songs in the film in which Deepika was clad in a saffron bikini.