FYI
Artists condemn Indian state for banning film
"Vishwaroopam", an action movie that offends some Muslims, has been banned in
the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
Sudha G Tilak Last Modified: 01 Feb 2013 11:13
Actor and film-maker Kamal Haasan has caused controversy with his latest action
film [AFP]
A Tamil action thriller "Vishwaroopam" (The Gigantic Guardian Figure) that
revolves around an Indian intelligence agent thwarting a "terrorist" attack by
fighters from Afghanistan in New York has set off protests on the streets,
court battles and loud debates on artistic freedom across India in the past
week.
The film cost over a hundred crore Indian rupees ($18.79m) and was set to be
simultaneously released across the country in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi on
January 25.
The Tamil Nadu government in south India called for its ban following protests
by some Muslim organisations last week who said the film "hurt their
sentiments" and objected that the "terrorist" in the film is a Muslim character.
MH Jawahirullah of Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam (Tamil Nadu's Forward
Muslim's Bloc) and a member of the state legislative assembly said, "The
screening of the movie will affect social harmony in the state".
The ban on the film was dismissed by the high court of the state. However, the
Tamil Nadu government restored the ban citing possible law and order problems
following protests.
The filmaker and actor, Kamal Haasan, bemoaned that his artistic ambitions were
"thwarted and destroyed". He has appealed to the courts to lift the ban and is
expecting a favourable judgement by February 6 from the state court for the
Tamil version of the film.
"My belief in the law of the land and that justice and truth shall prevail
remain unshaken," Haasan said during a press event in Chennai.
Politics and culture
J Jayalalithaa, chief minister of the state government, defended the state's
decision not to show the film. It would be impossible for the state's police
machinery to deploy its force to more than 500 cinemas to offer protection for
film screenings, she said.
"My first responsibility is towards law and order," she said in a press
briefing.
Legal experts say that the onus for protecting free speech and maintaining law
and order is on the state government and a blanket ban on the film's screening
in not the answer.
Some analysts believe the state government's decision is more about politics
than religion. Responding to reporters in Chennai questioning if she had a
"vendetta" to settle with Haasan who had earlier planned to release his film
via DTH (Direct to Home) through a private channel and not the channel allied
to her political party, the chief minister dismissed allegations, saying she
held "no personal grudge against Mr Kamal Haasan".
She urged him to settle the matter amicably with the aggrieved Muslim groups
instead.
Samanth Subramanian, a writer and commentator, said: "The primary villain in
such cases is the state which bends backwards to placate offended groups and
offers sanction to their objections with an eye on protecting their vote bank."
'Infringement on expression'
The Central Board of Film Certification, the apex body in India which screens
all films before they are released in cinemas, had cleared "Vishwaroopam" as
fit for viewing by all.
Censor Board chairman Leela Samson called the ban from the Tamil Nadu
government "an infringement on freedom of expression" and the "hounding of an
artist, a man who is an icon of Tamil Nadu".
"Vishwaroop's" version in the Hindi language, released in north India, has been
deemed "insulting to Muslim sentiments" by some viewers.
Muslim scholars such as Maulana Khalid Rasheed Maheli in the northern state of
Uttar Pradesh have called for a ban as a show of solidarity for their southern
Muslim brothers who have found it objectionable.
The actor Rahul Bose who plays the character of Omar, the "terrorist" in the
film, told a TV audience that his character had "no resemblance or similarity
to Mullah Omar", a Taliban leader in Afghanistan.
Many commentators see the ban as part of an unhealthy trend in muzzling
creativity, and accuse and political parties kow-towing to various interest
groups.
Portrait of a film star
Kamal Haasan, 58, is an actor who has recieved many honours. He won the
National Award for acting and filmmaking four times over, a coveted trophy in
India and a feat unmatched by actors from other languages. He has acted in more
than 200 films in many Indian languages.
In addition to starring in films, Haasan has been a director, songwriter,
singer, and poet.
Known for speaking-out against violence motivated by religious beliefs,
Haasan's film "Hey Ram" took on Hindu fundamentalists and his movie "Anbe
Sivam" spoke of the need for mercy and kindness.
Following the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992, Haasan had spoken in favour of
his "Muslim brethren". He supported secular leaders including HH Mohammad Abdul
Ali, Prince of Arcot in Chennai, in the founding of Harmony India, an
inter-faith forum for peace and harmony.
A Hindu Brahmin from a Vaishnavite sect in Tamil Nadu, Haasan is a left-leaning
artist who has openly decried caste and religion and spoken in favour of
science and rational approachs to understanding the world.
"I am taking on irrational acts in the name of religion", he said in defence of
his film "Vishwaroopam".
Culture of offence
Haasan is not alone in coming under the ire of political and religious leaders
in recent times. "More and more 'leaders', small, medium and big are willing to
use this offense, either 'religious offense' or 'ethnical offense' as a tool to
increase or shore up their power," Ruchir Joshi, an author and commentator,
told Al Jazeera.
While Haasan awaits the fate of "Vishwaroopam's" release in his hometown in
Chennai, other actors and writers have come under the scanner in the past
fortnight for causing offense.
India's Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan's article on being an Indian liberal
Muslim and a movie icon in the newsmagazine Outlook caused outrage when he
expressed how he resists being used by political outfits and believes in
secularism.
Pakistan's interior minister invited Khan to live in Pakistan if he felt unsafe
in India owing to his Muslim identity.
The Indian government had reacted swiftly to this, leading Khan to clarify that
he had not meant to cause offense for the contents of the article.
"Everyone is easily outraged and needs to be mollified," said Subramanian, the
commentator, exasperatedly.
Filmmaker Karan Johar and Bollywood biggies rallied to Khan's support. Johar
said that Khan's words were twisted out of context by those who use "religion
as a tool" to stir controversies.
Rushdie banned from Kolkata
On January 30, the author Salman Rushdie was banned from attending the Kolkata
Book Fair as part of his engagements over the release of the film "Midnight's
Children" based on his novel.
The West Bengal government has been accused of opposing Rushdie fearing the
writer would offend its Muslim followers.
"The real tragedy is that political parties of all kinds, from the Maoists and
the CPM to the regional to the right-wing ones, almost all of them without
exception are either using this tool or [are] terrified of their opponents
wielding it," Joshi said of religious controversies.
Joshi hopes that the "regressive" culture of raking up controversies by India's
political and religious groups will fail when the people will see through "the
corruption and the pseudo-religious, pseudo-traditional manipulations of the
political parties".
Until that day Kamal Haasan and artists of his ilk will have to fight for their
freedom of expression.
Source:
Al Jazeera
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