Lack of I&B Ministry clearance: Malayalam documentary filmmaker Ramdas Kadavallur’s ‘Sathyapullu’ at Kolkata festival cancelled

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The screening of Malayalam documentary filmmaker Ramdas Kadavallur’s Sathyapullu (Magical Grass) that was scheduled to be held on September 9 at the ongoing 5th World Film Festival in Kolkata, organised by the Film Society Federation of India, was cancelled owing to lack of clearance from the Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry. The filmmaker told The Hindu that it is deeply concerning that a film which strives to examine both history and the present with close, meticulous attention has met with such a fate.

Sathyapullu , which was screened at the International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala (IDSFFK) and won an award at the Signs film festival, revolves around the experiences of a young woman named Rashida Nazriya, her struggles with depression, her romantic life and her observations. At its core, the film draws upon notes published by Rashida as a writer, the poems ‘ID Card’ and ‘Mehboob Express’ by poet Anwar Ali, and the metaphor of the train—symbolising the refugee experience and forced migration.

“This is not a film that generates hatred or animosity. Rather, it seeks to view the world and society we inhabit in their entirety. It makes no attempt to manipulate or distort any subject matter. Undoubtedly, this film, like my previous works, possesses a political dimension. It is a politics rooted in a humanistic stance, democratic convictions and concern for minority communities. If this is what leads to the cancellation of a screening, it can only be viewed as an act of political intolerance and an encroachment upon democratic, constitutional, and civil rights,” said Mr. Kadavallur.

According to him, film societies used to be free from any restrictions on what can be screened, but now the control of censors have reached there too.

Film critic and curator Premendra Mazumder, coordinator of the World Film Festival, said that the screening has not been cancelled, but approval from the I&B Ministry is pending. “Screenings at Nandan, the venue of the film festival, depend entirely upon the permission of the I&B Ministry. Since Sathyapullu has been selected in the competition category, the jury has already watched it, but for public screening we need to get permission. Earlier such permissions used to come early, but now it gets delayed and reaches at times even after the festival is over,” said Mr.Mazumder.

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