Kolkata: Screening of Ritwik Ghatak films canceled over 'political content'
What's the story
A state-run school in Kolkata recently called off the scheduled screening of two films of legendary filmmaker Ritwik Ghatak, Amar Lenin and Komal Gandhar.
Reportedly, local ruling party supporters influenced the decision, saying the political content of the films was inappropriate for an educational setting.
The screenings were organized by Naktala Setu, a cultural organization in south Kolkata, to mark Ghatak's birth centenary.
Permission withdrawal
School authorities withdrew permission citing 'certain developments'
Onkar Roy, a spokesperson for Naktala Setu, told HT the school authorities had initially given permission for the screenings. However, they later withdrew their consent due to "certain developments."
"The headmaster was initially enthusiastic about the screenings when he approached us in the third week of January... But after February 5, he seemed under pressure and informed us that there were problems with screening the films."
Relocated screenings
Screenings were relocated to a roadside location
After the permission was withdrawn, Naktala Setu approached a local club for an alternate venue. But even that was denied at the behest of higher authorities.
The organization then made arrangements to screen the films on the roadside in the Bidhan Pally area where hundreds of people turned up.
The headmaster of Naktala High School said the cancelation was due to other engagements, not external pressure.
Film controversy
'Amar Lenin' faced objections due to strong political content
An official from the school revealed that some guardians had raised concerns over Amar Lenin due to its strong political content.
However, no one objected to Komal Gandhar, which depicts the plight of those forced to migrate after India's partition.
Notably, Amar Lenin (1970), a film made to commemorate Vladimir Lenin's birth, initially faced censorship issues but was later cleared after intervention by then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Past incidents
History of political film resistance in Bengal
Notably, this is not the first time political films have met resistance in West Bengal.
Earlier, Anik Dutta's Bhabisyoter Bhoot faced similar issues during its theater run, resulting in street protests. The film was later re-released after the Supreme Court's intervention.
While theater owners blamed its poor box office performance for its removal; Dutta claimed it was targeted for its anti-establishment stance.