Today, again for the second time Toronto-based filmmaker Leena Manimekalai has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons. The filmmaker stirred a controversy after she shared a poster from her documentary titled ‘Kaali’ on her Twitter handle that depicted Goddess Kaali smoking a cigarette, holding a trident in one hand and an LGBTQ+ flag in the other. The poster did not go down well with netizens who later trended #arrestleenamanimekalai on Twitter and demanded she be arrested for hurting religious sentiments.
The controversy regarding the Manimekalai’s documentary is spreading like wild fire and Hindu religious groups all over India has been demanding its ban since she shared the controversial image from her documentary.
Talking about the picture she tweeted: “BJP payrolled troll army have no idea about how folk theatre artists chill post their performances.This is not from my film.This is from everyday rural India that these sangh parivars want to destroy with their relentless hate & religious bigotry. Hindutva can never become India.” At the centre of the controversy is a poster shared by the Toronto-based director, which depicted goddess Kali smoking and holding an LGBTQ flag. Social media platform Twitter has pulled down the tweet in response to a ‘legal demand’.
BJP payrolled troll army have no idea about how folk theatre artists chill post their performances.This is not from my film.This is from everyday rural India that these sangh parivars want to destroy with their relentless hate & religious bigotry. Hindutva can never become India. https://t.co/ZsYkDbfJhK
— Leena Manimekalai (@LeenaManimekali) July 7, 2022
“In an another tweet Manimekalai said, “These trolls are after my artistic freedom. If I give away my freedom fearing this mindless rightwing mob mafia, I will give away everyone’s freedom. So I will keep it, come what may,”
On Tuesday, the Delhi Police and the Uttar Pradesh Police filed separate FIRs against Manimekalai over the controversial poster. Further, the Indian High Commission in Ottawa had urged the Canadian authorities to take down all “provocative material” related to the film after it received complaints from leaders of the Hindu community in Canada about the “disrespectful depiction” of Hindu gods.
Kaali was showcased as part of the ‘Under the Tent’ project at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto. Under attack for the poster, Manimekalai had on Monday said she will continue to use her voice fearlessly till she is alive.
