Varun Grover's short film Kiss explores the concept of censorship in film with a gentle approach. In just 15 minutes, the movie delves into the mental processes, biases, and personal views that influence how someone experiences a film. In a special interview with HT, Varun and actor and well-known lyricist Swanand Kirkire discussed the film's themes, their partnership, and the reasons why censorship should not be present at all.

The news story that sparked Kiss

Varun explained the original inspiration behind creating the film years ago. He recalled, “There was a news article mentioning that a certain film had been censored, stating that the censor board instructed the filmmakers to cut a kissing scene from 22 seconds to 11 seconds. This made me curious about the rationale behind such a decision. Who are these individuals who sit and time such scenes, reducing kissing moments by seconds? It would have been understandable if they had called for the complete removal of the scene, but instead, they specify the exact timeframe! There seems to be an underlying issue that we are unaware of. So, I thought I should address this, and that was around 2018. ”

He further explained, “Fast forward to 2021 during the COVID period, when I wanted to create something new and produce a short film, this idea resurfaced. I didn’t want to approach it as a comedy, which would easily make light of this mindset, but rather to truly explore who these individuals on the censor board are and the reasons behind their decisions. I sought to gain insight into the lives of the people responsible for making such judgments. It was a quest for understanding while still acknowledging the absurdity of the situation. ”

Varun shared the news piece that inspired the film in his recent post on X. Check it out!

Swanand Kirkire felt a strong desire to join the film from the very beginning. He explained, “Varun and I have a long-standing friendship. I really respect his work. We previously worked together on Masaan and have kept in close contact since then. He sent me the script, which I found very appealing. He initially suggested a different role for me, and I agreed to it. However, scheduling conflicts arose, and the project was postponed due to the pandemic. I reached out to Varun to express my availability, and he proposed another role, which I accepted right away! I was thrilled to have the opportunity to be involved in this film. ”

Varun created Kiss prior to his feature film All India Rank. Which was tougher—a feature film or a short film? Varun responds, “Each film comes with its own set of challenges. Since this was my debut film, my first day on set was filled with wonder. It felt like stepping into a dream! Fortunately, I had an excellent crew around me, many of whom had more experience. They had worked on numerous films and were committed to doing their best while also looking out for me. For instance, I had no knowledge of the color palette that the design team was discussing. I just stood back and let them manage that part of the film. I agreed to it because I had faith in their expertise. ”

‘Censorship in itself is a wrong idea for a country like ours’

Kiss talks about censorship in cinema. As a filmmaker, he wants more artists to speak about the issue. What can change? 

He says, “I don't think giving a list of things that should change will change things. We are that much aware of the world… a lot of things can change, should change. Censor board is also doing what the society… they think it is ready for. They have this superiority complex that we will tell the world what to do and what not to watch. I think at least more artists can speak about it. Censorship in itself is a wrong idea for a country like ours. For a democracy, there should not be censorship. The name of the body is Central Board of Film Certification, not film censorship. They are supposed to certify a film but they are also censoring and that should not be the case. It should not be allowed, it should not be the norm.”

Swanand agrees. He adds, “Not just the censor board, but so many other things should change. It should become more human than they are. I think the only censorship that should happen is in the head of the creator. When they decide why they are telling a certain story, because it is a very fragile line. It is ultimately the artist's responsibility. From there it should start. And, censorship should not become a political tool to only tell a certain kind of story and stop people from telling a certain kind of story. That is what this film addresses. People who are censoring, who are they? Are they equipped? Are they open-minded enough to judge a film? Everyone has their own values, their own traumas, their own childhood conditioning… The film is compassionate in that sense. I think that is the beginning. Compassion is the way to lead. It is a short way and a short step, but yeah, let's start with compassion.”

Kiss is available to watch on Mubi India.

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