Unni Mukundan's 'Marco' TV Premiere Gets Halt By CBFC; A Right Decision?

Kochi, March 5 - Malayalam star Unni Mukundan's box office blockbuster Marco has reportedly been halted for the television premiere and is also likely to be stopped from OTT release due to the violent content. The movie is directed by Haneef Adeni.

Touted as the most violent film, Marco was censored with an A rating (18+) for the big screen release by The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) but the body has denied the permission to screen the movie on television. CBFC has also reportedly asked the government to ban the movie from streaming on OTT platforms.



It is to be noted that to premiere the film on television, it has to obtain a U/A or U certificate from the board. In the case of Marco, the central board accepted the recommendation of the regional examination committee and based on that, it was found that the movie contained too much violence to be changed to a U/A or U-category film.

If the makers want, they can re-submit for permission by cutting more scenes but they are unlikely to do so as it will make the film irrelevant. It is probably the first movie in recent times to get banned from TV premiere and the decision is not surprising given the scrutiny CBFC has been under recently.

Marco, despite its huge box office success with a 100+ crore gross collection, has faced criticism for showing too much violence, and so has the CBFC for allowing its release in theatres. Meanwhile, the producer of the film has said that he will not make films like Marco in future, though their intention was not to promote violence. Nonetheless, the right decision has been made to halt its premiere on television, a medium where all age groups watch the content.

Stay tuned...