KOCHI/PANAJI : In a fresh twist to the ‘S Durga’ saga, director of the 48th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) Sunit Tandon said the film directed by Sanal Kumar Sasidharan could not be screened at the festival owing to fresh issues raised by the Central Board for Film Certification (CBFC) regarding its title. IFFI concluded on Tuesday.
“Following the (jury) screening, issues related to the film’s certification regarding its title were raised. This was referred to CBFC for clarification. As a consequence to CBFC’s orders, the film cannot be exhibited till the issues are resolved,” Tandon said in a letter to Sanal. CBFC has claimed the title was changed from ‘Sexy Durga’ to ‘S Durga’ and then to ‘S### Durga’. In a communique to the film’s producer Shaji Mathew, CBFC said the film should not be exhibited owing to violations under Rule 33 of the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 1983.
“Now, we have received complaints from IFFI jury at Goa the name of the film on the title card is shown as ‘S### Durga’. This has totally different implications and is effectively undermining and attempting to defeat the very basis of title registration and changes effected thereby,” the communique from Pratibha A, CBFC regional officer, Thiruvananthapuram division, read.
“We are facing a bias. Our film is not ‘Sexy Durga’ now; it is ‘Sexy Democracy’. They are imposing a silence on us. They think it is just a filmmaker and a film they are silencing. They will come to your home and silence you. That is when you will realise how serious the threat is,” Sasidharan said.