Amid unprecedented backlash, criticism, and several FIRs over a movie poster depicting Godess Kaali smoking a cigarette carrying LGBTQ flag, filmmaker Leena Manimekalai, who had tweeted the poster, hit out at the criticism by the Indian right-wing saying “Hindutva can never become India”.
Earlier in the day, the filmmaker had posted a picture with two people smoking while dressed in the costumes of Lord Shiva and a Hindu goddess. It was in the line with the controversial movie poster showing Goddess Kaali.
BJP payrolled troll army have no idea about how folk theatre artists chill post their performances.This is not from my film.This is from everyday rural India that these sangh parivars want to destroy with their relentless hate & religious bigotry. Hindutva can never become India. https://t.co/ZsYkDbfJhK
— Leena Manimekalai (@LeenaManimekali) July 7, 2022
However, as the post sparked intense outrage, the filmmaker took to Twitter to clarify that the image was not a scene from her documentary film, but a snapshot of real life in rural India.
“BJP payrolled troll army have no idea about how folk theatre artists chill post their performances.This is not from my film. This is from everyday rural India that these sangh parivars want to destroy with their relentless hate & religious bigotry. Hindutva can never become India,” Leena Manimekalai tweeted.
Speaking about her movie’s controversial poster of Godess Kaali, Manimekalai has said that the documentary was about a woman strolling in the streets of Canada’s Toronto.
On the other hand, several right wing organisations have filed police complaints against the filmmaker. The Indian mission to Canada had also expressed displeasure over the poster, which led to Canada’s Aga Khan Museum removing the presentation of the documentary.
Twitter has taken down the original post with the poster in response to “a legal demand”. The filmmaker has termed this move ‘hilarious’.
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