New Delhi: ‘Kisan Satyagraha’, a documentary on the 2020-21 farmers’ protest, was barred from screening at the Bangalore International Film Festival (BIFFes) after Union information and broadcasting ministry had refused permission on the grounds that it captured a “sensitive subject”.

Directed by Kannada director Kesari Haravoo, the documentary covers the farmers’ protest on Delhi borders over a year leading to the repeal of the three farm laws enacted by the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party government. The documentary should have been screened on Friday, March 1, at the 15^th edition of the BIFFes.

“All the movies to be screened are cleared by the I&B ministry. However, the ministry did not give a green signal to ‘Kisan Satyagraha’… The Central authorities have told us that the matter pictured in the documentary is a sensitive subject and hence it should be withheld from being screened at the film festival. Following the instructions, we have withdrawn the screening of ‘Kisan Satyagraha’. Otherwise, it should have been scheduled for screening on Friday,” said G. Himanth Raju, registrar, Karnataka Chalanchithra Academy, according to The Times of India.

The I&B ministry also refused permission to a documentary on Israel and also on Ukraine (20 days in Mariupol).

Till now the 86-minute-long documentary on farmers had been screened offline at certain forums including four international film festivals. Kisan Satyagraha won the award for best Indian documentary at the White Unicorn International Film Festival 2022 and emerged as a finalist at the Anatolia International Film Festival 2022 apart from being selected for two more film festivals.

The Wire

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