Adoor Gopalakrishnan on Padmavathy controversy

The eminent Malayalam director Adoor Gopalakrishnan who has many award winning films to his credit, nationally and internationally went on record while speaking to the Hindu on the controversy around the movie Padmavathy to say that this furore over a film that has not been censored or seen by the people is a dangerous trend and must not be permitted if we value the core principles of democracy.

No provision for banning a film by censor board

He reiterated that there is no provision for banning a film in the censor certification rules( which are meant only to classify films in various categories). He said that Padmavathi itself is a purely fictional character and most modern historians have rejected the authenticity of the story surrounding her though Allauddin Khilji’s siege of Chittor in 1303 is a historical event.

Constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression under threat

Constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression are under threat in India. How can some people threaten to kill or maim persons associated with films they don’t like and haven’t even seen? The film got made despite all the violence, but it has not been censored. Allegations are being raised now against the film to influence Censor Board members. Censorship is nothing but a dictatorial weapon used by people who do not want the public to know what is really happening in the country.