TSNAB issues notice to change title of ‘Ganja Shankar’

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], February 18 (ANI): The Telangana State Anti-Narcotics Bureau (TSNAB) has issued a notice to the makers of the Telugu film ‘Ganja Shankar’.

The notification was delivered to the film’s hero, Sai Dharam Tej, producer S. Nagavamshi, and director Sampath Nandi.

TSNAB director Sandeep Shandilya, IPS has directed the creators to change the title of ‘Ganja Shankar’ and remove the word Ganja.

Taking to ‘X’, Telangana State Anti-Narcotic Bureau (TSNAB) posted, “Director @TS_NAB Issued Notice to #GANJASHANKAR film Crew objecting to title & content depicting the character as Ganja business, its glorification. Request film fraternity sensitize the concerned to refrain from glorifying the sale, consumption etc, of NDPS Substance.@TelanganaDGP”

The notification also indicates that legal action would be taken if the film contains any inappropriate sequences involving ganja/narcotics or psychotropic substances. On October 15, 2023, the movie’s makers published a video named First High.

The notice read, “The undersigned would like to draw your attention to the movie title and trailer ‘Ganja Shankar’ which is uploaded on YouTube as “Ganja Shankar – First High /Sai Dharam Tej / Naga Vamshi S / Sampath Nandi / Bheems Cesiroleo” with link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owxJRSAGNT4 and on watching the trailer it can be concluded that the protagonist is a vagabond who does leafy vegetable business and the pictorials of Ganja plant are shown indicating that the leafy vegetable business done by the protagonist is Ganja.”

“Section 8. Prohibition of certain operations.

No person shall–

(a) cultivate any coca plant or gather any portion of coca plant; or

(b) cultivate the opium poppy or any cannabis plant; or

(c) produce, manufacture, possess, sell, purchase, transport, warehouse, use, consume, import inter-state, export inter-state, import into India, export from India or tranship any narcotic drug or psychotropic substance.

Section 29. Punishment for abetment and criminal conspiracy.”

“The government of Telangana is taking all measures to curb the menace of drugs which has been penetrating, especially among the students and youth. In your movie, depicting the protagonist character as a Ganja business and glorifying his acts and title itself ‘GANJA SHANKAR’ will create a negative impact on the viewers, especially students and youth.”

“You are aware that the inclusion of these scenes not only normalizes and glamorizes the use of narcotics, particularly among the youth, but also serves to abet the commission of such crimes by indirectly/tacitly endorsing and encouraging their consumption. This portrayal could have detrimental effects on impressionable viewers, particularly young audiences, and society by influencing their attitudes and behaviours towards drug use. We believe that the movie ‘Ganja Sankar’ potentially inciting or abetting the crime of narcotics consumption inviting penal consequences to the movie makers.”

“You are also aware and know that motion picture had become more true life than even the theatre or any other form of artistic representation, it effects particularly on children and immature adolescents will be great. It is universally recognized that motion pictures must be treated differently from other forms of art and expression, because of a motion picture gives an instant appeal both to the sight and hearing.”

“We are expecting that you refrain from depicting any scenes in your (Ganja Shankar) movie where consumption, sale, peddling and supply of Narcotic Ganja is glorified and shown as a heroic act and you desist from having such scenes in your movie and to abstain propagating such acts which have deleterious effects on the young generation. You are also directed that the title of “Ganja Shankar” should be changed and Ganja must be deleted from the title “Ganja Shankar”. If any such objectionable scenes in connection with Ganja/Narcotics and Psychotropic Substance, legal action will be initiated against you under provisions of NDPS Act 1985.”

Notably, the action-entertainer titled ‘Gaanja Shankar,’ which will be directed by Sampath Nandi, stars Sai Dharam Tej. It is produced by S. Nagavamshi.

Details regarding the rest of the cast of the film and release date are kept under wraps.