CSF members attend special screening, will file affidavit in High Court on Thursday
MUMBAI: ‘The Da Vinci Code’ has scraped through, but ‘Sacred Evil’ is yet to make the grade. The release of the movie, produced by Sahara One Motion Pictures, depends on the affidavit which will be filed in Bombay High Court on Thursday by members of the Catholic Secular Forum (CSF), who saw the film at a special screening on Wednesday.
A member of the CSF said on condition of anonymity, “We will not allow the film to be released. Not just the promos, the entire storyline is objectionable. The basic idea of a Mother Superior in a convent asking an outsider to exorcise a nun is unacceptable.” He added that the film was made to demean the clergy and the Church.
The HC on Monday had ordered the producers of this Abhigyan Jha directed film—reportedly based on a ‘true’ story of a possessed nun at a Kolkata Convent—to organise a special screening for the CSF. The members who sat for the special preview were Father Anthony Charanghat of the Archdiocese, lawyer Gerry Coelho, Joseph Dias, general secretary, CSF, and Abraham Mathai, general secretary, All-India Christian Council.
The main objections raised by the forum were the use of crucifix in the publicity materials of the film and granting of a release certificate by the censor board to the producers.
However, debutatnt director Jha said, “The movie has not been postponed because of the protests, but because of non-availability of theatres. He added that there was nothing objectionable in the film. “It is based on the book by the same name, authored by Ipsita Roy Chakraverti. There had been no objections to the book. But as the matter is sub judice, the law will take its own course.”
Sources at the censor board said that they had not been insensitive to Christian sentiments. “We are very careful when we screen sensitive movies... But, there is nothing in the movie (Sacred Evil) that is objectionable, or will hurt the sentiments of the community in question.”
The publicity materials were within the preview of the publicity screening committee of the Motion Pictures Producers’ Association, added the source.
The issues at stake
The release of the movie, produced by Sahara One Motion Pictures, depends on the affidavit which will be filed in Bombay High Court on Thursday by members of the Catholic Secular Forum (CSF).
The HC on Monday had ordered the producers of this Abhigyan Jha directed film—reportedly based on a ‘true’ story of a possessed nun— to hold a special screening
Sources at the censor board said that they had not been insensitive to Christian sentiments.
The publicity materials were within the preview of the publicity screening committee of the Motion Pictures Producers’ Association, sources added
