Zoya Akhtar on censorship: “Women were sexually harassed on screen, but you couldn’t see a kiss…”

Lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar and his daughter, filmmaker Zoya Akhtar, graced the latest edition of Expresso held in Mumbai on Thursday. The duo, known for their deep insights and candid opinions, shared a heartfelt conversation about their love for literature, cinema and each other.

Zoya, who recently directed the adaptation of The Archies for Netflix and produced the coming-of-age drama Kho Gaye Hum Kahan, spoke about the impact of the lack of censorship on OTT platforms. She dismissed the argument that sublimation is better art than explicit representation and spoke out against censorship in the depiction of physical intimacy. “It is very important to show consensual intimacy on screen. I grew up in a time when women were bullied, beaten up, harassed and sexually assaulted on screen. All of that was allowed, but you couldn't see a kiss. People should be allowed to see love, tenderness and physical intimacy between two adults,” Zoya said, drawing warm applause.

Zoya is aware of the risks of an uncompromising approach and emphasises the importance of artistic choice. “Every film has a tone and every filmmaker tells a story in a certain way. Unlike Ramesh Sippy's Sholay, where the decision to show violence was ahead of its time, the violence in Tarantino's films is operatic. It's about what you want to evoke in the audience,” she explained. She also highlighted cultural differences in the depiction of intimacy, noting, “The French are more open about male nudity compared to the Americans. It depends on how comfortable you are in your skin, how you view sex, how you view your body.”

Javed Akhtar echoed Zoya's view and emphasised the importance of intention. “If you show a love scene to arouse, it's different. If you want to evoke real romance and empathy, it's different,” he said. Reflecting on his own experience, he noted, “Even in my worst anger, I don't use swear words. But when I saw them on screen in Bandit Queen, it didn't bother me because the intention was not to shock or arouse. Intention is very important.”