Spineless and shameful self censorship at International film fest: Hussain film dropped fearing the Hindu right

Hindu
25 November 2008

Husain’s film dropped from public show

Ziya Us Salam

Decision follows pressure from activists of Hindu Janjagruti Samiti

‘Through the Eyes of a Painter’ was made in 1967

Artists should not suffer because of politics: Adoor Gopalakrishnan”

PANAJI: After a day of flip-flops, M.F. Husain has lost again. After struggling to exhibit his paintings in the country, the legendary artist now finds that he cannot screen his film at the ongoing International Film Festival of India here. As the authorities have taken refuge in technicalities, Husain has again been banished from a public show.

The short film, Through the Eyes of a Painter, is a 40-year-old venture that has won international awards.

With activists of the Hindu Janjagruti Samiti mounting pressure for its withdrawal, it was finally decided that Husain’s film, originally scheduled for screening this Tuesday as part of the Film Divisions’ Framing Time section, would not be shown. The browbeating tactics of the radical Hindu outfit that has sought a total boycott of Husain have worked, as earlier in the day the officials claimed that the film would be shown.

The Samiti activists, in a representation to CEO of the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) Manoj Srivastava, said: “M.F. Husain has hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus with his nude paintings of Hindu gods and goddesses. There are 1,250 cases pending before various police stations across the country, of which 900 are in Goa.”

Besides writing to the ESG and the Chief Minister, the activists are said to have staged a protest in Mumbai too. Buckling under the demand, the authorities decided to withdraw the film and go on with the rest of the screenings “in a peaceful manner.”

Chief Minister Digambar Kamat refused to acknowledge the presence of the film or its cancellation at the last hour. Claiming that the film was not at all scheduled for screening, he said, “I don’t have the details. I have not seen the film or any such schedule where it is marked for a show.”

The late evening decision comes on the heels of the assurance by the Directorate of Film Festivals (DFF) that the film would go on.

A senior official had stated Husain’s “beautiful film,” which presents his view on Rajasthan, would be shown and there “will be no problem in screening it.”

The directorate was apparently in favour of screening the film but had to submit to the behind-the-scenes manoeuvring of the ‘samiti.’

DFF director S.M. Khan said, “It was decided not to show the film. Technically speaking, it was not part of IFFI. It was a part of the Framing Time section of the Films Division.”

Ace filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan came out in support of Mr. Husain and said, “By all means the film should be shown. If anybody has any objection it is due to interpretation which is a personal matter. Artists should not suffer because of politics.”

Husain’s short film, made way back in 1967, was part of a larger bouquet on illustrious artists, writers and poets like Raja Ravi Varma, Amrita Shergil, Picasso, Rabindranath Tagore, Mohammed Iqbal and Mirza Ghalib.


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Times of India
Husain film screening dropped under Hindu groups pressure
25 Nov 2008, 1905 hrs IST, PTI

PANAJI: Legendary painter M F Husain's short film was not screened at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) on Tuesday after it was
withdrawn following pressure from Hindu right wing groups sparking angry condemnation from eminent filmmakers. ( Watch )

"The screening of the documentary has been deferred. It may be shown some other time," Director of film festival S M Khan said. The information and broadcasting ministry had decided to defer the screening of the documentary on Monday night.

The 40-year old documentary, 'Through the Eyes of a Painter', about Husain's experience in Rajasthan, was a part of I and B Ministry's Films Division's 'Framing Time section' and was due to be screened on Tuesday.

Hindu organisations 'Sanatan Sanstha' and 'Hindu Janajagruti Samiti' (HJS) had objected to the screening of the documentary by the nonagenarian painter, citing that there were several cases pending against him in India.

"This is ridiculous. Just because some people have problems with a filmmaker, it(the documentary) cannot be treated like this," veteran filmmaker Jahnu Barua said.

Alleging that the move to drop the documentary was against the freedom of expression, Barua said that he had seen the film six times and had found nothing objectionable in it.

"An artist should not suffer because of politics," Dadasaheb Phalke award winning filmmaker Adoor Gopalkrishnan said, adding that the film should be shown by all means.

HJS functionaries had written to Goa chief minister Digamber Kamat and the DFF, on the first day of the festival, to withdraw the documentary. The members had also met Kamat personally with a memorandum.

"The chief minister requested the organisers to defer the screening as it might create law and order problem in the state," highly placed sources said.