On Sunday the lights went out in the film industry for 15 minutes as all shooting units stood as one in solidarity with the producers of the film Padmavati. The call by the Indian Films and TV Directors’ Association got a positive response from about 20 other bodies of the film industry. It is, as a representative of the film industry said, ‘the basic right of a creative person to tell a story in his own way’ and so the film industry in Mumbai decided to stand behind this film.
On the same, delegates at the International Film Festival of India were enjoying the 7th day of the festival in Goa. It is ironical that while in the rest of the country there is a raging debate on the film Padmavati, with a section demanding that it be banned, and the film industry supporting the film makers, here in Goa despite IFFI being on, there is a strange silence on the film and the controversies surrounding it. One would have expected that the delegates at the festival – all cine professionals and movies buffs – would come out in support of the movie and the freedom of creativity, but the silence is deafening. If the festival delegates here in Goa cannot stand for freedom of speech and expression then surely it reflects poorly on the festival as a platform to promote cinema and art.
This is not the first film in the country that has attracted controversy or even calls for a ban. But the issue here is a tad bit different. The film Padmavati has not been released, yet there are demands that it be banned. How does someone who has not seen the film, not read the script and not even seen the rushes, demand that a film be banned?
The protestors claim that the film distorts history and there is a particular dream sequence they are against. The producers have said there is no dream sequence in the film. Had the protestors waited until the movie was released to make their demands, their arguments might have been more pertinent, but seek the ban on a movie that has not been seen is bringing a very negative approach to the arts.
And the protest has gone further. The controversy took a macabre turn, when a body was found hanging in Rajasthan and there are indications, though it has not been confirmed yet, that it could be the work of a group that is supporting the film and its release. Such passions over a film that nobody has yet seen have never been heard before. And the violence that has been associated with it, is unacceptable and condemnable. As Vice President Venkaiah Naidu said, “You have the right to protest in a democratic manner, go to the appropriate authorities…you cannot physically obstruct and can’t give violent threats. Let us not undermine the rule of law.”
There is the law, there is the freedom to express oneself, the freedom to protest, but the freedoms cannot be abused, and have to be enjoyed within the framework of the law. Unfortunately, there are elements that are forcing strong views on issues, taking the country hurriedly towards a fundamentalist view of issues, leaving little space for debate and rational arguments. The controversy over the film Padmavati is but an example of how rational debate is being circumvented and drowned out by angry, vociferous protests.
The last word on the film Padmavati has not yet been written. The film is due to be released this week. As the day draws closer, there could be a further eruption of protest and violence, as liberal voices are drowned out.
