Archives: Fashion

So the morally upright Indian government has once again banned FTV, albeit for 10 days. But banned nonetheless. The information and broadcasting ministry, for its part, has been extremely thoughtful in announcing the reason to the public as well. An official statement tells us that it was noticed by the ministry that "A programme on FTV channel was telecast on September 4, 2009 at 15:37:34 hours and 19:01:48 hours showing women with nude upper body which was offending against good taste and decency." The Indian government had banned FTV a few years back on the same grounds. Well,...

Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar was arrested and later released on bail for allegedly indulging in obscene behaviour during a fashion show in March in Mumbai. From the Indian Express: [Link] "Akshay, who arrived in Mumbai from abroad, surrendered before the police today. He was accompanied by his lawyer," a senior police officer said. "He was then arrested under section 294 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code for his alleged obscene behaviour," the officer added. Akshay's wife Twinkle was also arrested under the same charges last month and immediately released on bail. Akshay...

Actor Akshay Kumar's wife Twinkle Khanna was arrested by the police in Mumbai six days after a case was registered against the couple for allegedly indulging in an obscene act during a fashion show, but the former actress was released on bail. Details from the Indian Express: [Link] Twinkle went to Vakola police station with a lawyer last night and surrendered. Police arrested her but she was immediately released on a bail bond of Rs 950. She told police that Akshay was abroad on a professional assignment and would come to the police station to surrender as soon as he...

Film actor Akshay Kumar has landed in trouble on grounds of obscenity for letting his wife Twinkle Khanna unbutton his jeans at the Lakme Fashion Week in Mumbai a few days back. From the Indian Express: [Link] Advocate Virendra Kumar filed the case in the court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Rajesh Kumar against the star couple's performance during the promotional catwalk for a particular brand of jeans at a show. The court after recording the complainant's statement, has scheduled April 13 for producing further evidence and hearing of the case. Virendra in his complaint...

FTV has apologised and the government has condescended. The government Friday revoked the ban on FTV six days before the two-month period suspension of the channel for beaming salacious images of skimpily-clad models. The channel apologised and assured that "such error" will not be repeated in the future. FTV has assured the government that there would be no future violation of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act 1995 or the Advertising and Programme Codes. The government revoked the ban after the channel assured that it has put in place a strict vigilance committee to...

The disgust over the ban on FTV was expected. What is also expected is the fact that for each, the exact reason for the disgust might be different. Let's have a look at what some had to say. Something from the Times of India (Late-night TV: Too hot for govt to handle?; April 3, 2007) "I am genuinely against censorship," asserts fashion photographer Atul Kasbekar, who has many swimsuit calendars to his credit. "Shooting fashion calendars is an art and they have no business to look down upon it. These programmes are not voyeuristic, they are just fashion. Anyway, perverts can...

Whether the Indian government cared for the hundreds of farmers who have committed suicide in central India is something we can debate about. What we cannot is the fact that its commitment to safeguarding public morality is above question. Caesar's wife, you know. The custodians of Indian morality, the venerable Information & Broadcasting Ministry, has now banned Fashion TV for two months, starting on All Fools Day. No, we are sure the government is not playing a prank on us. It does not play the fool with issues such as taste and decency. "The transmission or re-transmission of...

Information & Broadcasting Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi made AXN go off air. Now he seems to be dish out the same treatment to Fashion TV. For once, the Congressman and his friend in the Bharatiya Janata Party, Sushma Swaraj, seem to be thinking likewise. Great minds think alike. [Link] “I have got the highest number of complaints from schools, colleges about Fashion TV operations,” said Dasmunsi, the information and broadcasting minister. “The kind of things they show, even in school-time, examination-time, daytime, I think that’s not fair. I straightly, plainly tell...