Movie producer Ola Michael has urged the Film Classification Committee to implement stricter regulations to address the increased use of strong language and insults in Ghanaian films.

His call for action follows actor Agya Koo's criticism of the prevalence of insults and explicit content in movies.

Speaking on Daybreak Hitz on Hitz FM, Ola Michael acknowledged that the use of insults has become ingrained in Ghanaian cinema, but emphasised that its excessive presence has led to a culture where films are not appreciated unless they contain numerous scenes featuring insults.

He pointed out that this trend has spilt over into real life, with individuals seeking to gain social media followers and audiences by creating content centred around insults or using them as a form of comedy.

Ola Michael proposed that the Classification Committee enforce stricter measures including instructing producers to reduce the use of strong language, mandate the removal of some scenes or assign higher age ratings and restricting the movie's exhibition in certain venues or time slots.

“If you bring a movie for classification, they can take a look and tell you ‘there’s too much string language, go and take some of them out, else we rate the movie 18 or 16’. This means there are certain places you can't show the movie, and if it is for TV you cannot show it at certain times,” the movie producer explained.

According to Ola Michael, such measures would compel producers to be more mindful of the content they create, especially considering its impact on distribution and audience accessibility.

He also encouraged producers to focus on creating well-structured scripts that minimise ad-libbing, which often leads to the spontaneous use of insults for comedic effect.

Read More: Agya Koo condemns insults and sex scenes in Ghanaian movies

This comes after actor Agya Koo expressed his concerns on Joy FM’s Showbiz A-Z, criticising the portrayal of graphic sex in films and insults, citing its detrimental impact on societal morals, particularly among young viewers.

Agya Koo emphasised that children often watch these movies and could easily adopt negative behaviours such as the use of insults, as well as being influenced by explicit scenes.

Agya Koo stated that he has consistently advised filmmakers against such practices, fearing that it could drive audiences towards foreign productions.

Despite encountering resistance, Agya Koo expressed gratitude for the support received from some filmmakers who shared his concerns.