Writer, producer and Congress leader Aryadan Shoukath has hit out at the Kerala regional censor board, asking if the censor board is considering the caste, creed and everything other details of a scriptwriter, then how a person will make a film in Kerala.
“If censor board, considers caste, creed and every detail of a writer, then how will we be able to make a film in Kerala,” Shoukath asked. The remarks came after BJP leader and censor board member advocate V Sandeep Kumar put out a controversial tweet rejecting Malayalam movie Varthamanam, because Shoukath wrote and produced the film and theme is ‘anti-national’.
In the now-deleted tweet, Kumar says: "I saw the movie Varthamanam as a member of the censor board. The topic was the persecution of Dalits and Muslims in the JNU agitation. I opposed it. Because Aryadan Shoukath was the screenwriter and producer of the film. Of course, the theme of the film was anti-national.
Reacting to Kumar’s tweet, Shoukath told that a censor board member should not be saying such things publicly. “Everyone has seen the tweet. Just think about it, a censor board member cannot reveal such things publicly. In fact, the censor board told us that the film has been sent to a revising committee. But, in his tweet, it clearly says that since Aryadan Shoukath has written this movie, therefore it is an anti-national movie,” Shoukath said.
“Here they are not considering the movie, what will happen to our country if the censor board itself starts doing these things? How will be able to make more movies,” the writer said, adding that let the censor board itself decide as to who all can make cinemas here. “Those not included need not send their movies to censor board,” Shoukath added.
The movie is based on the journey of a girl from Kozhikode who heads to Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) to research on Freedom Fighter Mohammed Abdur Rahman Sahib. Shoukath said that the present political scenario inspired him to write the movie.
”The present political scenario in Delhi inspired me to write this film. The difficulties a girl encounters when she goes to study in Delhi. The natural insecurity feelings that she will feel with what is happening there especially when it comes to Dalits and minorities is what the story is about,” Shoukath says.
The movie is directed by Sidhartha Siva and stars Parvathy Thiruvothu in the lead along with Roshan Andrews. Shoukath has written and produced the movie.
