“Cinema should hold a mirror to life and society and it is absurd to ban films for reflecting social realities,” speakers said at an open forum on ‘The Politics of ban’ held as part of the Regional International Film Festival of Kerala on Tuesday.
Noted film critic C.S. Venkiteswaran criticised the outfits that impose virtual ban on films in the name of causing hurt to religious sentiments.
Filmmaker Manoj Kana said that it was impossible to make films or any other work of art that do not hurt any one.
Critic T. Renuka gave a list of films that were banned due to various reasons at different points of time and claimed that protest against nudity or lesbian themes in films were pointless as those themes were also part of the society.
“Society is not a child to be guarded from anything and everything. It has the ability to think,” she added. Activist A.K. Abdul Hakeem pointed out that while freedom of expression should be protected, the freedom of religion and beliefs should also be respected.
“Art has always stayed ahead of time and has been revolutionary. It takes time for society to accept the ideas proposed in art,” he added.
Film critic Kunhikkannan Vanimel said ban was being imposed on art by forces of power that fear it and its practitioners. “The need of the hour is to form a force to counter such impositions,” he added.
Moderator Koya Mohammed maintained that freedom of expression should be unconditional in a democratic society.
