NEW DELHI: Information and Broadcasting Minister P. Upendra has expressed displeasure over the “abrupt” replacement of the Amitabh Bachchan Starrer “Mili” scheduled for telecast on Sunday by another film and postponement of an episode of the teleserial “vishwamitra” which was to be shown on Sunday morning, PTI reports.
Official sources said Upendra has asked for a written explanation from officials concerned on the changes.
The Hindi film “Mili” scheduled to be telecast on December 10 was replaced by “Magroor” (starring Shatrugan Sinha) and a TV announcement said Mili would be telecast on Friday night on December 15.
Upendra has reiterated that selection of films, serials, songs by official media should be purely on merit and no favor or discrimination be shown in such matters, according to the sources.
The land B Minister, according to the sources, has already ordered lifting of an unwritten ban on some film personalities imposed by the state run authorities in the past.
The remaining episodes of the Vishwamitra serial, it is officially learnt, will be telecast as scheduled but the Doordarshan authorities have rejected the request of the producer to increase the number of episodes in the serial.
Vishwamitra has been serialised by Telegu film producer and director Dasari Narayana Rao.
Article extracted from this publication >> December 22, 1989
