The Regional Officer of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), Nadeem Thufali T, has urged the CBFC chairperson to seek central government intervention to prevent the Unni Mukundan-starrer Marco from being streamed on OTT platforms. The CBFC has also denied the film's satellite rights for television broadcast due to its extremely violent content. It is now currently streaming on SonyLIV.
Marco has come under scrutiny amid concerns over rising violence among Kerala’s youth. Directed by Haneef Adeni, the film follows gangster Marco and the powerful Adat family, who dominate Kerala’s gold mafia. It was granted an A certificate by the CBFC due to its intense violence. Speaking to Manorama News, Nadeem clarified that the CBFC only certifies films, not censors them, and advised parental discretion. He added that the film’s satellite rights were denied as it was unsuitable for a family audience.
Responding to the controversy, Marco producer Shareef Muhammed of Cubes Entertainment banner stated that his future films would feature less violence.
Earlier, the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) criticised attempts to link violent films to real-life crimes, dismissing such claims as misleading. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan recently warned of the negative influence of violent films, citing a police report suggesting students tried associating with gangsters after watching Fahadh Faasil's Aavesham. His remarks came during an assembly discussion on rising violence, following the brutal death of a student in Kozhikode.
