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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

President takes prompt cognizance

Mumbai: President Droupadi Murmu has taken immediate cognizance of a plea pointing at grave insults to the Indian Tricolour (Tiranga) in pubs and hotels, violations to the Flag Code of India, 2002, in the name of celebrating Republic Day and Independence Day. Pune businessman-cum-activist Prafful Sarda had shot off a complaint to the President on Jan. 26 but was surprised to receive a response from her office in less than 72 hours. Under Secretary Lakshmi Maharabooshanam in the President’s...

President takes prompt cognizance

Mumbai: President Droupadi Murmu has taken immediate cognizance of a plea pointing at grave insults to the Indian Tricolour (Tiranga) in pubs and hotels, violations to the Flag Code of India, 2002, in the name of celebrating Republic Day and Independence Day. Pune businessman-cum-activist Prafful Sarda had shot off a complaint to the President on Jan. 26 but was surprised to receive a response from her office in less than 72 hours. Under Secretary Lakshmi Maharabooshanam in the President’s Secretariat at Rashtrapati Bhavan, replied to Sarda on forwarding his complaint to the Ministry of Home Affairs for necessary action. It further stated that action taken in the matter must be conveyed directly to Sarda. “It’s a pleasant surprise indeed that the President has taken serious note of the issue of insults to the National Flag at night-clubs, pubs, lounges, sports bars and other places all over the country. The blatant mishandling of the National Flag also violates the specially laid-down provisions of the Flag Code of India,” said Sarda. He pointed out that the Tricolor is a sacred symbol and not a ‘commercial prop’ for entertainment purposes to be used by artists without disregard for the rules. “There are multiple videos, reels or photos available on social media… It's painful to view how the National Flag is being grossly misused, disrespected and even displayed at late nights or early morning hours, flouting the rules,” Sarda said. The more worrisome aspect is that such transgressions are occurring openly, repeatedly and apparently without any apprehensions for the potential consequences. This indicates serious lapses in the enforcement and supervision, but such unchecked abuse could portend dangerous signals that national symbols can be ‘trivialized and traded for profits’. He urged the President to direct the issue of stringent written guidelines with circular to all such private or commercial outlets on mandatory compliance with the Flag Code of India, conduct special awareness drives, surprise checks on such venues and regular inspections to curb the misuse of the Tricolour. Flag Code of India, 2002 Perturbed over the “perceptible lack of awareness” not only among the masses but also governmental agencies with regard to the laws, practices and conventions for displaying the National Flag as per the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950 and the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, the centre had brought out the detailed 25-page Flag Code of India, 2002. The Flag Code of India has minute guidelines on the display of the Tricolour, the happy occasions when it flies high, or the sad times when it is at half-mast, the privileged dignitaries who are entitled to display it on their vehicles, etc. Certain violations attract hefty fines and/or imprisonment till three years.

OTTs reject Marathi film; hit on YouTube

The Perfect Exclusive

The producer says OTT platforms were not keen on Marathi content. The YouTube audience respond with love and donations as well

Amaltaash

Mumbai: When renowned singer Rahul Deshpande set off on an experimental journey to perform the lead role in a film called ‘Amaltaash’ little did he know that the film will fail to find a place in the world of OTT for four years despite of its rich content. Almost all OTT platforms rejected the film citing a reason of “no audience”. Finally, the producers of the film released the film on YouTube at free of cost in December 2024.


This episode taught Deshpande and his colleagues a lesson on film distribution. However, the silver lining was to the dark and cruel world of the OTT was the response from the audience. The film’s team did not only get a splendid feedback from the audience but also donations for their next project.

The team of ‘Amaltaash’ had been running from pillar to post to have the film showcased at an OTT platform or a satellite channel since 2018. All efforts turned into disappointment.


Over a week ago, Deshpande shared a post on his Instagram profile. In his post, he said that the team of Amaltaash approached all the OTT platforms and satellite channels and none agreed to showcase the film. He further said that finally in last week of December they released the film on YouTube.


Amaltaash, an extraordinarily written film showcases the story of how Rahul, a former pianist running an instruments store in Pune, gets soulfully connected with Keerti, an NRI who gets fascinated by his exceptional talent. The entire movie is a peaceful and serene display of human relationships, and takes note of even the smallest aspects of life. This film is a musical treat for the audience.


The movie was supposed to be released in March 2020. However, it couldn’t make it to any of the OTT platforms, which rejected the film saying “There is no audience for Marathi content on OTT platforms.”


Speaking exclusively to ‘The Perfect Voice’, director of the film Suhas Desale said, “The theatrical release of the film was successfully done on March 8, 2024 in Pune. The film went strong for 50 days. Rahul was our face. We promoted the film well and we really did well in the theatres in Pune.”


Speaking exclusively to ‘The Perfect Voice’, Deshpande said, “All those who we approached in a bid to have the film showcased in the world of OTT or satellite channels are my own friends. Nothing could work out on OTT and satellite channels. We decided to finally release it on YouTube. Without a single advertisement, the film is doing exceptionally well. We are getting donations and offers of sponsorships from viewers who are requesting us continue our good work.”


Deshpande pointed out that the team had got varied responses from various platforms. According to him Amazon Prime had said, “Thanks for reaching out, but the film does not align with our current selection of requirements, hence we are unable to pursue the same.” Netflix responded saying, “We are not interested in regional content, especially in Marathi content” and Sony Liv said, “This year we will not be taking Marathi films.”

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