HUE AND CRY: Some Catholic groups wanted the film The Da Vinci Code banned

The Da Vinci Code sparked off a religious controversy globally as well as in India. Some members of the Catholic church wanted the film banned in the country. Bollywood’s latest Hinglish sex comedy Tickle My Funny Bone also stirred angry protests for some scenes in the film. The director apologised and said that the film was not intended to hurt religious sentiments.

Likewise, Sacred Evil, featuring film star Sarika, was dragged to the Bombay High Court. The petitioner complained that the film’s publicity provided a distorted picture about the Christian faith.

In the last few months, several films exhibited in India have led to wild protests from different religious sects. Whether it’s the Shiv Sena tearing down film posters to protect the Hindu faith from being maligned or the Catholic church pushing for a ban on a film like The Da Vinci Code, there’s been a spate of cases where objections to films have been raised on the ground that they hurt religious sentiments.

To be sure, the phenomenon is not new. Sins, a film that showed a priest in a sexual relationship with a woman, kicked up a storm. Though a rational Christian viewer wondered how “religion came into question” another one was angry with the film maker for targeting the common man’s religious beliefs to get publicity and to make money. “It’s not just about the Catholic community. I’m sure there are films which have hurt the religious sentiments of other communities also,” she says.

Another film, Black Friday, did not see the light of day in India. Directed by Anurag Kashyap, the film was about the 1993 communal riots in Mumbai. The film was based on a book that had been around for two years. “Yet, when the case was dragged to the court, the judge ruled that not many people read books. But they go and watch films and this film may generate controversy,” recalls Kashyap.

Earlier, former Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee chairperson Bibi Jagir Kaur accused Sunny Deol’s film Jo Bole So Nihal of showing Sikhs in a bad light. The film’s week-long run was marred by stone-throwing incidents in Punjab while its opening show in Delhi witnessed two bomb blasts. Needless to say, the film was withdrawn from theatres.

Film critics say that as long as films in India showed God and religion in a pious light, all was well. The moment film makers started taking a realistic view of things, they faced stiff protests from the believers. Says actor-director Anant Mahadevan: “Indian viewers tend to over-react. There are so many other important issues that need attention. For instance, protecting wildlife. Why not make a hue and cry about such issues rather than creating a fuss about petty things?”

Mahadevan suggests that instead of instigating violence and bans, any protest against a film must be registered on paper. “It is high time people understood that banning films is not going to change the world. As long as the film maker is clear in his concept, he will continue to make films portraying several religious aspects,” he adds.

In India, even films which make no direct commentary on any religion have faced resistance. The Shiv Sainiks, for instance, took a moral stand on Deepa Mehta’s Fire which portrayed two married women from a Hindu family in a lesbian relationship. “I think we need to have more tolerance and accept the realities of life. In the name of freedom of expression, people just cannot act violently and keep protesting. And why can’t we question religion,” asks Mahadevan.

Scriptwriter Sudhir Mishra, who’s written scripts for films like Chameli, Calcutta Mail and Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, helplessly saw his film Dharavi being pulled out of theatres because protesters claimed it hurt their sentiments.

Mishra is bitter that the film industry did not support him during the crisis. “My only intention was to make a clean film. It is in the vested interest of some people that religious conflicts are provoked,” says the writer-director. “Barely a handful of people supported Deepa Mehta also,” he rues.

So are these films made with the intention of igniting controversy and so packing audiences in theatres? “The box office success depends on the quality of the film. Controversy can only attract attention, it cannot decide the fate of a film,” says director Kashyap. “If the film is good, it will be a success, no matter what,” he says.

Taran Adarsh, editor of Trade Guide and a box office analyst, however, contends that such conflicts affect the box office to a large extent. “Film makers should consider all the consequences before making a film. It is wrong to hurt the religious sentiments of people. Besides, the film and their own fortunes suffer if the film generates religious conflict and is stopped from being released,” he says.

Adarsh says that dealing with controversial subjects, especially religious ones, invites trouble. “The entire unit goes through a bad time and the director, distributors and producers suffer heavy financial losses,” he says. While some film makers are pulled into controversies, others do it as a publicity stunt, he adds.

Censor Board member Vinayak Azad prefers to stay tightlipped on the issue. He says that the board simply certifies the film as per the Cinematograph Act, 1957, and that whether or not such issues must be touched upon in a film is totally up to a film maker.

Amit Khanna, president of the Film & Television Guild, however, says that any film or creative work can arouse extreme reaction from a person or a group. If the film is a work of fiction, it should not be objected to. “Personally, I do not subscribe to any censorship. All types of films, as long as they conform to the law of the land, should be made and screened. In the past, there have been films based on religion and I am sure there will be such films in future too. The rise of fundamentalism and intolerance will also mean controversies too will continue.”