A new Bengali movie, Teen Kanya, was removed from state-owned Star Theatre only a day after its release because it allegedly contained a sequence which bore a resemblance to the Park Street rape case and therefore the movie was deemed “anti-government”. The film’s director, Agnidev Chattopa-dhyay, said: “I was told by Star Theatre authorities that the film was anti-government and so it would not be screened there.”
The movie is a big hit in other private cinemas. “I was shocked when I was told by Star Theatre authorities that the film was anti-government. My movie is a crime thriller and does not carry any political message. I am not a political filmmaker,” Chattopadhyay said.
The director pointed out that Bratya Basu had acted in Teen Kanya. “He is the education minister of the state besides being a theatre personality. Has he acted in a movie which is anti-government,” he asked.
Meanwhile, embarrassed by the sharp reaction, the Mamata Banerjee government immediately began a damage-control exercise. Distancing the government from the incident, state home secretary Basudeb Banerjee said it had no desire to ban any film. Mr Banerjee explained that Star Theatre was owned by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation but was given on lease to a private company. “Which movie it will run in the auditorium is solely the management’s decision and discretion and the government does not interfere in this matter. The news that the government has stopped the screening of a movie is therefore totally baseless,” he added.