Indian protests at film ban
Deepa Mehta flanked by members of her cast
By Daniel Lak in Delhi
Indian filmmakers and commentators have condemned the decision to stop filming on the controversial Indo-Canadian film, Water (Starring Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das), in the Hindu holy city of Varanasi.
They say it is a setback for the country’s image abroad and its hopes of getting foreign movie companies to shoot their films in India.
This is cultural fascism ,Mahesh Bhatt, film director
The state government of Uttar Pradesh ordered the suspension of filming on Water for two weeks after protests by some hardline Hindu groups and extremist political parties.
They had protested against the script of Water and continued to do so despite changes and the full approval of the government in Delhi.
Director hits back
Speaking in a BBC interview, the director of Water, Deepa Mehta, said the protests against her film were orchestrated, politically motivated and absolutely no threat to law and order, as the state government said when it ordered the suspension of filming.
Shiv Sena activists protest against the film
Ms Mehta said a man alleged to have attempted suicide in protest against the portrayal of Hinduism and Varanasi in the film was a professional troublemaker who had pretended to try to kill himself before.
Filmmakers based in India have been rallying around Ms Mehta, saying the lunatic fringe has managed to restrict freedom of expression, despite guarantees in the Indian constitution.
One well-known director, Mahesh Bhatt, himself no stranger to controversy, described what was going on as cultural fascism.
Others have said the government should not only permit the filming of Water, it must ensure security of the set, crew and cast.
Relocation or cancellation
Ms Mehta is obeying the government order to suspend filming and is deciding what to do next.
One possibility is to move to the southern city of Hyderabad and build an entire set to represent Varanasi.
Deepa Mehta is deciding what to do next
Earlier in the controversy she rejected that option, saying only Varanasi would do. But now she’s left with little choice but to go elsewhere in India or to another country, short of actually cancelling the production.
India’s ambitions of attracting foreign movie makers because of highly skilled and inexpensive expertise and talent have suffered a serious blow.
While few other directors from abroad might want to make a film quite as potentially explosive as Water, this affair has demonstrated that determined protesters can cause great difficulty.
Observers say that trouble could easily be created in future for more mundane reasons such as extortion or placing of local people in key jobs on film sets.
It’s likely that Varanasi will remain off the agenda of serious filmmakers, Indian and foreign, for some time to come.