In a statement issued on Wednesday in response to an Indian court’s injunction to stop the broadcast in India of the documentary Storyville — India’s Daughter by the British film-maker Leslee Udwin, the BBC has said the “programme fully complies with our editorial guidelines.”
“The BBC will broadcast Storyville – India’s Daughter in the U.K. on BBC Four. The documentary has the backing of a number of other public service broadcasters. However, the BBC is only responsible for transmission of the film in the U.K.”
The statement was issued following Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s statement that the government would not only block the film from being shown in India on TV and other media platforms, but would also try to prevent it from being telecast in other countries. He said a notice has been sent to BBC4 not to screen it, as it would be a case of leveraging such unfortunate incidents for commercial benefits.
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The BBC, which had scheduled the telecast of the film at 10 p.m. on Women’s Day, has advanced it to Wednesday night. It said the “harrowing documentary, made with the full support and cooperation of the victim’s parents, provides a revealing insight into a horrific crime that sent shock waves around the world and led to protests across India demanding changes in attitudes towards women.”
The BBC is also due to broadcast India’s Daughter in Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway and Canada.