A Delhi court has issued summons and notice of injunction to filmmaker Leena Manimekalai for August 6 over a poster of her documentary film showcasing a woman dressed as Goddess Kaali and smoking a cigarette. The suit against Manimekalai seeks to restrain her from depicting the Hindu goddess smoking a cigarette.
Summons and notice were also issued to Manimekalai’s company, Touring Talkies Media Private Limited.
Kaali poster shows a woman dressed in the costume of Goddess Kaali. She is seen smoking a cigarette in the photo. Along with her usual accoutrements of a Trishul (trident) and sickle, the actor playing the goddess is also shown wielding the LGBTQ+ community’s pride flag.
After the controversy erupted over the Goddess’ portrayal on the film poster, the social media platform Twitter pulled down filmmaker Manimekalai’s tweet about her documentary Kaali, in response to “a legal demand”. The Delhi Police and the Uttar Pradesh Police filed separate FIRs against Manimekalai over the controversial poster.
Kaali was showcased as part of the ‘Under the Tent’ project at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto. Under attack for the poster, Manimekalai had on Monday said she will continue to use her voice fearlessly till she is alive.
“I have nothing to lose. Till the time I live, I wish to live with a voice that speaks what I believe without fear. If the price for that is my life, it can be given,” she wrote in a tweet in Tamil in response to an article on the controversy. The filmmaker also urged people to watch the documentary to understand the context behind the poster.
