Show statutory warning lines during violent scenes in movies, HC moved

CHENNAI: A Chennai based man has approached the Madras High Court seeking direction to the authorities to make it mandatory to show statutory warning lines or words in theatres while screening violent scenes in the movies.

S Gopi Krishna, a Kolathur based resident in Chennai has filed this petition alleging that many college going youth are involved in several crimes, including murder and chain snatching, under the influence of movie scenes.

“A statutory warning has been placed before start up the movie saying, smoking causes injuries to health and drinking alcohol is injuries to death, likewise the statutory warning could also be placed during such scenes in the movies, with or any other words like ‘Knives and sickles used in this movie are made up of paper and the colour water is used as blood’. This statutory warning is to make the young audience feel that what their watching is only fiction, ” Gopi Krishna said in his plea.

The petitioner further said that since most of these youngsters are mostly inspired by film actors, and they are imitating the same in the real life, they don't know how to make difference, they simply follow the footsteps of the actors, how they dance, how they smoke, how they speak and how they fight. They do the same thing in real life and end in crime, the affidavit reads.

The matter is yet to be listed for hearing by the HC registry.