Unni Mukundan's 'Marco' was granted an ‘A’ certification due to its graphic depiction of violence.
Published Mar 05, 2025 | 11:51 AM ⚊ Updated Mar 05, 2025 | 12:09 PM
A poster of the film 'Marco'. (X)
Malayalam film Marco starring Unni Mukundan has faced yet another setback, with the Regional Office of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), urging the CBFC chairperson to seek the Union government’s intervention to stop its streaming on OTT platforms.
At the same time, the regional office clarified that the CBFC’s role is not to censor films but to certify them.
The CBFC had previously denied satellite rights for the film’s television screening, citing its extremely violent content as unsuitable for family audiences. The concerned officials suggested that the parents should be cautious about what their children watch.
The film was granted an ‘A’ certification due to its graphic depiction of violence.
Marco, a spin-off of Mikhael (2019), both directed by Haneef Adeni, once again features Unni Mukundan as an antagonist, as he did alongside Nivin Pauly in the original film.
This comes a day after Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan criticised the portrayal of violence in films and media, citing the recent Malayalam movie Avesham as an example. According to a police report, after watching the film, some students sought to associate with real-life gangsters.
“Violence is being glorified in cinema, where killers are portrayed as heroes. However, it’s up to the Censor Board to decide whether this trend should continue,” he remarked. Malayalam comedy-action movie Avesham was certified U/A.
However, in response to the chief minister’s remarks, the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) Directors Union in an official statement, condemned such claims as “overly simplistic” and “misleading”, asserting that violence is rooted in deeper socio-economic and psychological factors rather than cinematic portrayals.
