Kathakali's release stayed, filmmakers protest outside Censor Board office

Thiruvananthapuram: Malayalam film directors and technicians today staged a dharna in front of the office of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) here, protesting against denial of certification for the movie 'Kathakali' alleging portrayal of nudity and vulgarity.

The protest was made under the aegis of Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA), which had already moved the High Court against the Board's demand for three cuts, including the climax scene, on the movie, directed by upcoming filmmaker Saijo Kannanaikkal.

The members of FEFKA, led by its general secretary B Unnikrishnan, took part in the protest held in front of the the CBFC office, functioning at Chitranjali Studio here. 

The Censor Board has ordered three cuts, including the climax scene, in Kannanaikkal’s film ‘Kathakali’ on grounds of alleged nudity and vulgarity. However, the filmmaker claimed that the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) Officer was insisting on removal of the portions, which, according to him, were the 'soul' of the movie.

Kannanaikkal alleged that the Board's move was an infringement on the creative freedom of a filmmaker and his hardships and toils to make his movie dreams a reality.

He also claimed that a panel of CBFC, which saw the film, suggested to give the movie a 'U' certificate but the officer was reluctant to any certification without removing the 'objectionable' scenes.

The two hour-long feature film revolves around the life of an orphan man, who tries to create a space and identity of his own in the society around. In the climax scene, the protagonist removes his Kathakali attire and crosses the river as a symbolic mark of protest against the society.

Talking about his film, Kannanaikkal had earlier said, "I did not intend to create any controversy over my movie. What I wanted was to get my movie certified. I was forced to approach the court due to the adamant stand of the CBFC."

He had further added, “There is no display of private parts of anybody or any intercourse scene in my movie. What I showed in the film was essential to justify the story. But, the board could not understand the soul of the movie.”
A physically challenged person, suffering from ankylosing spondylitis, a rare disease, Kannanaikkal said he had completed the movie in a very minimum budget and was not financially sound to go ahead with the legal battle.

He also said the certification was inevitable as he could not send the movie to any film festival without the censor board certification. He said, "The CBFC's attitude is not at all good for the film industry especially for the upcoming filmmakers. It is a body to certify films but should not be the one to teach the filmmakers how to make a film."

(With inputs from PTI)