Veteran director Saeed Mirza, who was at the 28th edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) to deliver the Aravindan Memorial lecture, believes that films should not be censored, even if they contain hate speech.
"If movies do not violate the constitution of India, I think no movie should be censored, even those that include hate speech. Interference would affect the creative process," he stated.
Mirza added that he had once been offered the position of Chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification, but he declined.
"I was offered the position in 2009 by the Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. I told him he was asking the wrong person, as I am someone who doesn't believe in censorship," Mirza mentioned.
According to him, it doesn't matter if one likes what a movie is discussing. "If you don't allow free speech, even great cinema can be stifled. Unfortunately, with this regime, some films with a certain agenda get approved, while those that only state the truth get rejected. I believe everyone should have the right to free speech," he added.
