Film on Park Street rape set for release

The controversial film, which had run into trouble with the Censor Board, will be screened from March 6

Almost a year after a Bengali film on the controversial Park Street gang-rape case was denied certification by the regional Central Board of Film Certification, the film-makers received the green signal to release the film on March 6.

“We were given the go ahead for our film Park Street by the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal in July 2014. However, they had objected to a few scenes and the usage of profanities.

The release of the film was delayed by issues with some distributors,” producer of the film Debjani Roy told

The Hindu . Ms. Roy said the rape survivor would be attending the premiere of the film to lend her support to the film-makers.

The gang-rape at gunpoint inside a moving vehicle late at night in Park Street, Kolkata, in February 2012 had put the Bengal government in a tight spot, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee questioning the rape survivor’s character.

Ms. Banerjee had alleged that the rape case was ‘staged’ to malign her government. The incident had led to the transfer of the then Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Damayanti Sen, who had helped crack the case. The main accused is absconding.

Stating that members of the regional Censor Board of Film Certification were close to the State government, film director Partha Mukherjee said the film was banned twice by the Board.

“Even the title song was banned as the members alleged that it was discrediting the image of Park Street. Objections were raised to the posters as it had the word ‘rape’ on them. The government is still haunted by the ghost of the incident. We then decided to seek the help of the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal,” Mr. Mukherjee said.