IFFI 2017: Sanal Kumar Sasidharan calls S Durga controversy 'mockery of democracy'

The glorious victory of S Durga over the unjust elimination from screening at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2017 in Goa was soon turned into another joke of institutional complexities, leaving the makers in utter disgust on Tuesday. [caption id=“attachment_4231941” align=“alignnone” width=“1280”]  A still from S Durga. Facebook page of Sanal Kumar Sasidharan[/caption] After the heavyweight drama between the Kerala High Court and IFFI 2017 authorities, it was moved that S Durga will be screened at 6 pm on Monday and the same was conveyed by an official letter to the director Sanal Kumar Sasidharan. However, amid Sasidharan speaking out loud for justice being done, in another unexpected and shocking move, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) intervened in and halted the screening of S Durga. Mumbai Mirror reports that the CBFC sent a letter to the director saying,"S### Durga (where the # means rectangular white boxes) has totally different implications and are effectively undermining and attempting to defeat the very basis of the title registration and changes effected thereby." Though S Durga had a popular vote from the jury, the screening could not be saved and the director was found protesting silently at the IFFI venue, as per the same report. However, social media and cinema lovers could not keep calm over the issue and some even termed it as a death of democracy. In a thoughtful, angry and heartfelt response, Sasidharan wrote a long Facebook post.

While the director sent out a string of Tweets to condemn the alleged conspiracy, actor Sachin Chatte came out protested on Twitter.

The day the movies died. #Durga pic.twitter.com/jKlFj0Qzor

— Sachin Chatte (@sachinchatte) November 28, 2017