THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) will stage a demonstration in front of the Regional Censor Board office in protest against its refusal to grant a certificate to Sijo Kannanikkal’s ‘Kathakali’. This was only the start of a series of agitation FEFKA has planned against the Board.
“The immediate provocation is the denial of certificate to Sijo’s ‘Kathakali’,” said filmmaker Unnikrishnan B, the general secretary of FEFKA. “But the ‘Kathakali’ issue was the last straw. Even before this, the Regional Board had attempted to distort creativity by interpreting the Cinematograph Act in the most stupid manner,” he said.
The High Court verdict in favour of ‘Udta Punjab’ has emboldened filmmakers to take on the Board, Unnikrishnan said. The director of ‘Kathakali’ has already gone to the High Court against the Board’s decision. Nudity at the climax of the film is said to be the reason for the Board’s refusal to grant a ‘U’ certificate for the film. The Board had reportedly wanted the makers to cut the nude scene towards the end for the film if they wanted the ‘U’ certificate.
Earlier, the Board had argued that the filmmaker had not put forward a request to grant the film an ‘A’ certificate after the makers refused to cut the nude scene. Even members of the Board have criticised the Board’s decision to reject ‘U’ certificate for the film.
