Amidst the controversy surrounding her documentary ‘Kaali’, director Leena Manimekalai on Thursday (7 July 2022) said that she does not feel safe anywhere at the moment. In fact, a case has been registered against director Leena at several places after the poster of her documentary ‘Kaali’ showed Devi smoking and holding an LGBTQ flag.
Leena Manimekalai, while sharing the interview to British newspaper ‘The Guardian’, wrote on Twitter, “Looks like the whole country which has now turned from the biggest democracy to the biggest hate machine, wants to censor me. I don’t feel safe anywhere at the moment.
Online threats: Leena said that she, her family and associates have received threats from more than two lakh online accounts since the controversy started last week. The Toronto-based director described the online threats as similar to incidents of mob lynchings by right-wing Hindu groups. In an interview to The Guardian, he rubbished claims that his film insults the goddess or Hinduism.
Leena said, “Kali is considered as a different kind of goddess in the state Tamil Nadu I belong to. She eats meat cooked in goat’s blood, drinks arak, smokes bidi and performs wild dances. This is the Kali whose form I have adopted for the film.
Manimekalai said, “I have every right to protect my culture, traditions and texts from fundamentalists. These trolls have nothing to do with religion or faith.” Two separate FIRs have been registered against Leena Manimekalai in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. On Wednesday (July 6) two more cases were registered against him in Bhopal and Ratlam.
FIR against TMC MP Mahua Moitra: After this controversy, FIR has been registered against Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra for hurting religious sentiments by her remarks about Devi. Actually, Mahua Moitra had said, “It is up to you in what form you take Maa Kali. For me, Mother Kali is a non-vegetarian and alcohol-drinking goddess. I have no objection to the poster of this film.”