After watching the trials of the upcoming movie “Umeed”, government lodges a complaint to the censor board, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). The Union ministry of health and family welfare said in the complaint that movie presents distorted and misleading” facts on clinical trials of new drugs, which are contrary to the extant Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945.
The complaint addressed to Prasoon Joshi, chairman of the censor board, and asked him to postpone its release a trailer of the film is not relevant as it displaying a lot of distorted and misleading facts on clinical trials of new drugs.
Film “Umeed”, supposed to release on 22 September, a directorial debut of Rajat S. Mukherjee, based on drug trials in India. The protagonist Mia (Pallavi Das), shows how pharma companies use celebrities to give “unethical clinical trials” a mask of vaccination programmes.
A film was examined by the examination committee of CBFC earlier in August 2017 failed to reach a clear majority. There were different opinions and the chairman referred it to the revising committee of CBFC then after examining the film and recommended A category with some screen cuts. After suggested changes, the movie makers applied again for the CBFC with the latest version and the decision yet to be taken.
Movie screening was organized specially for the ministry officials at an unknown location, last week. Health officials said that this will bring a bad name on clinical trials in particular and Indian pharmaceutical sector in general.
According to the Movie, India’s market doing unethical trials and the clinical trial research in India has seen a lot of hurdles in the past also and the officials do not want further complications due to the release of the film.
