Kaali poster row: Director Leena Manimekalai reacts to furore over film's poster, says 'if the price is my life...'

Kaali poster row: NRI Tamil filmmaker Leena Manimekalai found herself in the middle of a controversy Monday after she shared a poster of her documentary Kaali showing the Hindu Goddess smoking and holding an LGBTQ flag. The poster led to a social media storm with netizens demanding the arrest of the filmmaker citing she had hurt religious sentiments.

Netizens came out stating that the poster is an insult to the Hindu community and that the filmmaker must put out an unconditional apology or face legal action. Monday, #ArrestLeenaManimekhalai started trending on Twitter with the netizens letting out their ire against the filmmaker.

READ: Kaali: Row over Hindu Goddess smoking in film poster, case filed against director Leena Manimekalai

In response to the attacks, the Toronto-based director hit back to say she was willing to pay with her life.

"I have nothing to lose. Till the time I live, I wish to live with a voice that speaks what I believe without fear. If the price for that is my life, it can be given," Manimekalai wrote in a Twitter post in Tamil in response to an article on the controversy.

“எனக்கு இழப்பதற்கு ஒன்றுமில்லை. இருக்கும் வரை எதற்கும் அஞ்சாமல் நம்புவதைப் பேசும் குரலோடு இருந்துவிட விரும்புகிறேன். அதற்கு விலை என் உயிர் தான் என்றால் தரலாம்” https://t.co/fEU3sWY4HK

— Leena Manimekalai (@LeenaManimekali) July 4, 2022

"The film is about the events during Kaali's strolls through the streets of Toronto city one fine evening. If they watch the movie, they will put the hashtag 'love you Leena Manimekalai' rather than 'Arrest Leena Manimekalai'," she added in reply to another article.

ஒரு மாலைப்பொழுது, டோரோண்டோ மாநகரத்தில காளி தோன்றி வீதிகளில் உலா வரும்போது நடக்கிற சம்பவங்கள் தான் படம். படத்தைப்பார்த்தா “arrest leena manimekalai” hashtag போடாம “love you leena manimekalai” hashtag போடுவாங்க. https://t.co/W6GNp3TG6m

— Leena Manimekalai (@LeenaManimekali) July 4, 2022

The Madurai-born filmmaker shared the poster of Kaali on the microblogging site on Saturday and said the film was part of the 'Rhythms of Canada' segment at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto. Manimekalai also urged people to watch the film to understand the context behind the poster.

Meanwhile, several people have appealed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the PMO to take action as the poster was blasphemous to Hindus.

Ajay Gautam, a member of the 'Gau Mahasabha' too filed a case against the filmmaker for allegedly presenting the goddess in a "derogatory and offensive manner" thereby hurting "religious sentiments of millions of devotees including the complainant."

A senior police officer from the Cyber Cell told PTI they are yet to receive the complaint.

Manimekalai, who made her feature directorial debut with 2021's "Maadathy - An Unfairy Tale", isn't the first filmmaker to find herself in trouble over religious references.

In 2017, for instance, filmmaker Sanal Kumar Sasidharan courted controversy over the title of his Malayalam film Sexy Durga, which explored religious divides in Kerala society. The film was later rechristened S Durga.

Last year, Prime Video's political saga Tandav was at the centre of trouble for a scene depicting Lord Shiva in a college theatre programme. The scene was eventually dropped and the streamer issued an unconditional apology.

(With input from Agencies)