Filmmaker Leena Manimekalai recently shared a poster of her documentary Kaali and it has irked Indians. The poster shows Goddess Kaali smoking a cigarette. Now, the Indian High Commission has issued an open letter on Monday and has asked the filmmaker and the Canadian authorities to remove “all provocative material”. They have asked for the removal of the poster from the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto in the North American nation.
The letter reads, “We have received complaints from leaders of the Hindu community in Canada about the disrespectful depiction of Hindu Gods on the poster of a film showcased as part of the ‘Under the Tent’ project at the Aga Khan Museum, Toronto. Our Consulate General in Toronto has conveyed these concerns to the organizers of the event. We are also informed that several Hindu groups have approached authorities in Canada to take action. We urge the Canadian authorities and the event organizers to withdraw all such provocative material.”
Here’s the open letter:
Please see a Press Released issued by @HCI_Ottawa @MEAIndia @IndianDiplomacy @PIB_India @DDNewslive @IndiainToronto @cgivancouver pic.twitter.com/DGjQynxYJS
— India in Canada (@HCI_Ottawa) July 4, 2022
The documentary’s poster shows a woman dressed as Goddess Kaali and smoking a cigarette. It has sparked controversies and even a police complaint was filed against filmmaker Leena Manimekalai.
A Delhi-based lawyer has filed a complaint and said that the objectionable poster should be banned and removed from all platforms. He also added that the poster has a defamatory impact and it can anger the Hindus as it is harming the religious beliefs of a community.
Here’s the poster:
Super thrilled to share the launch of my recent film – today at @AgaKhanMuseum as part of its “Rhythms of Canada”
Link: https://t.co/RAQimMt7LnI made this performance doc as a cohort of https://t.co/D5ywx1Y7Wu@YorkuAMPD @TorontoMet @YorkUFGS
Feeling pumped with my CREW❤️ pic.twitter.com/L8LDDnctC9
— Leena Manimekalai (@LeenaManimekali) July 2, 2022
After the controversy, filmmaker Leena Manimekalai urged everyone to watch the documentary before commenting. Not just the documentary, even Leena is facing irk from Indians on social media.
