Kerala HC Okays Anand Patwardhan Film Screening After Govt Objects

Vivek (Reason) highlights the murders of rationalists like Govind Pansare & Narendra Dhabolkar by Hindu extremists.

Anand Patwardhan’s documentary Vivek (Reason) will be screened at the International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala.

(Photo Courtesy: Anand Patwardhan; Twitter)

Anand Patwardhan’s documentary Vivek (Reason) can be screened at the International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala, the state's High Court said on Tuesday.

The central government had denied permission for veteran filmmaker Anand’s latest documentary to be screened at the festival in Thiruvananthapuram. The organisers – Kerala Chalachitra Academy – took the battle to the court to get permission. “The court said that the film can only be screened to the delegates and guests of this festival,” says Shaji H, Deputy Director of the Chalachitra Academy, who went to the court on Tuesday. Anand too had joined him.

Anand had earlier posted on Facebook, “Fight goes on! International Doc Fest of Kerala selected Reason in competition. It was to show today. Central govt denied permission to just this one film claiming it will cause "law and order" problems !!! Kerala festival to their immense credit is going to court. I am joining the case in Kochi court this morning. Wish us luck!”

Shaji, after the court ruling came, posted on Facebook: “Anand Patwardhan. Reason has a smile. Today is the anniversary of declaration of Emergency in India”

Reason, the film, documents certain events between 2013 and 2017, about the killings of rationalists, mob lynching and violence in various parts of the country.

Eight of Anand’s films were screened at the IDSFFK last year, including Ram Ke Naam, his most discussed, debated and banned and later un-banned documentary that came out just before the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992. The film had detailed the campaign by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad that would lead to the demolition of the centuries-old mosque in Ayodhya, to build a Ram temple in its place. His other documentaries include Father, Son and Holy War, linking the violence of the Hindu nationalist movement to the violence against women, Prisoners of Conscience, on the movement that had led to the 1975 Emergency, and Jai Bhim Comrade, about the time the police opened fire in Mumbai and killed 10 Dalits.

(This article has been published in arrangement with The News Minute)