Why Is Unni Mukundan's Marco Facing A TV Ban After OTT Release?
Actor Unni Mukundan‘s Malayalam action entertainer Marco has found itself in a new controversy on its television screening. The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has rejected the satellite rights of the film due to its portrayal of extreme violence.
Directed by Haneef Adeni, Marco was touted as the most violent film in the history of Malayalam cinema and has been certified as ‘A’ due to its excessive portrayal of violence.
While reviewing the film for the TV audience, the CBFC’s Regional Officer, Nadeem Thufali T, has denied the satellite rights to the film, claiming that it would be “unsuitable” to be viewed by the family audience.
Read Also: “Cinema Reflects Reality; Doesn’t Create It”: FEFKA Rejects Blame For Violence In Society
In his statement to Manorama News, Thufali said, “Marco has already been certified ‘A’ by the CBFC. Parents should exercise caution when allowing children to watch such films. The CBFC’s role is limited to certification and does not involve censorship. We have rejected the satellite rights for Marco as it’s not suitable for a family audience.”
He also stated that even with drastic cuts, the film failed to clear the requirements to be shown to a television audience. Further, he also reached out to the board’s chairperson, seeking the Center’s intervention in removing the film from OTT platforms.
The film, which was released on SonyLIV after its theatrical release, has been undergoing various scrutinies for its portrayal of violence. This move of the CBFC against Marco comes a day after Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan addressed the influence of cinema in increasing violence and drug menace in the state.
However, the FEFKA directors union refuted the claims raised about the depiction of violence in cinema being the root cause of social evils. The union said that these allegations were made based on highly simplistic and weakly justified reflection theory.
Read Also: “It Is A Part Of Society”: Unni Mukundan On The Violent Scenes In ‘Marco’
Produced by Mukundan and Cubes Shareef Muhammed, Marco is about a gangster, an adopted son of the Adattu family, who goes on a bloody rampage following his foster brother’s death. Apart from Unni Mukundan, the film also features Siddique, Jagadish, Abhimanyu Shammi Thilakan, Yukti Thareja, Sreejith Ravi, and others in crucial roles.
Emerging as a blockbuster film, Marco collected Rs 102.55 crore at the box office, as per Sacnilk reports. The film received critical acclaim from both critics and audiences alike and emerged as the highest-grossing A-rated Malayalam film of all time, the sixth highest-grossing Malayalam film of the year, and the ninth highest-grossing Malayalam film of all time.
