Kaali Poster row: Supreme Court grants filmmaker Leena Manimekalai interim relief

After the poster of a documentary showing goddess "Kaali" smoking a cigarette came out, several FIRs were filed against the filmmaker Leena Manimekalai. On Friday, the Supreme Court granted her temporary protection from any coercive actions.

A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha gave notice to the States and instructed them not to take coercive action against the director based on any FIRs that have already been filed or that may be filed in connection with the "Kaali" poster controversy.

The supreme court served notice to the states on a request for the unification of all FIRs into one location after noting that at this point, filing FIRs in multiple states may gravely prejudice the filmmaker. The top court noted, "Issue notice to the respondents. List on February 17, 2023. No coercive steps shall be taken against the petitioner either on the basis of FIRs or pursuant to any FIR which may have been lodged or may be lodged in relation to the same matter".

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Manimekalai has filed a petition with the top court asking for protection and the cancellation of the numerous FIRs that have been filed against her in various States. The Hindu goddess "Kaali" is shown smoking a cigarette in the film's poster.

In addition, the plea demanded that all of the FIRs filed against her for the poster in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttarakhand be combined. The criminal proceedings resulting from these FIRs have also been requested to be stayed by the filmmaker.

Manimekalai has stated that as a creative filmmaker, her goal was to portray the image of a radically inclusive goddess rather than to displease anyone's religious values and beliefs. She claimed that after tweeting a poster for her movie Kaali, she also received explicit threats of harm against her, her team, and her family.

Manimekalai has contested the accusations made against her in the district courts of in Lucknow's Hazratganj, Ratlam, Bhopal, and Indore in Madhya Pradesh, Haridwar in Uttarakhand, and Delhi.

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(With inputs from ANI)