Ram Gopal Verma’s new trailer for his film Rann somehow already managed to get banned by the censor board and reached the Supreme Court, who ordered the Censor Board to reconsider its ruling.

If you watch the trailer, hopefully you will recognize the melody and the words. It’s India’s national anthem, with some added lyrics. The song by no means tainted the national anthem or voiced any anti-Indian sentiments, yet it was banned.

The lyrics addressed the growing divide between Indian states and its people. It addressed India’s apathetic nature towards politics and the government, as was seen earlier this year when, despite major efforts to increase voter turnout, it was still only 50 percent.

The Censor Board referred to a law which stated that the National Anthem could not be altered, thus banning the trailer of the movie. But isn’t that at odds with the basic concept of the freedom of speech? Even if the song was unpatriotic and anti-Indian, it would surely warrant controversy, but definitely not a ban. And this song is far from either– the words and the creativity in which the song was rendered does not deserve such treatment from a progressive democracy.

The song isn’t anywhere near a performance by The Roots in California, where they sang Bob Dylan’s “Masters of War” but started the song by singing lyrics on the tune of the National Anthem. Some lyrics, directed at the leaders of the country at that time, were: “You play with my world like its your little toy… i just want you to know, i can see behind your masks. ” Very tame compared to Rann, yet no problem.

RGV has done many crazy things over the years, including some incredible films (Satya, Company) and some not so much (Daud, Gayab). But in this case, more power to him, and to the what should be progressive country of India. As said so wonderfully in the song, “Bharat ko bachale vidhaata.” God save India.