Director Sanalkumar Sasidharan had submitted the copies of the censored version of the film to festival director Sunit Tanden Saturday night, after arguments that lasted for over an hour.Panaji: The authorities of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) seem to be playing out all tactics to delay the screening of Malayalam film S Durga (originally titled Sexy Durga) over which there has been a legal standoff between the Union Ministry for Information and Broadcasting and the filmmakers.
The festival directorate has convened a meeting of the Indian Panorama jury on Monday, just a day before the festival is scheduled to conclude.
Ruchi Narain, one of the jury members for the Indian Panorama section of this year's festival, confirmed to Onmanorama that the officials have sent intimation to the jury members on the meeting.
She said the censored version of the film will be screened before the jury at the meeting. Asked if the whole jury would be present at the meeting, she said she cannot comment on it.
Earlier in the day, Narain said that, after the HC order, she was one of the first jury members to write to IFFI seeking to know as to when the film would be screened for the jury.
"I am in Mumbai right now. But if IFFI wants me to be in Goa for the jury screening, I am willing to come," she said.
IFFI spokesperson Manish Desai said the screening for the jury will be held at 6pm.
The controversy-ridden S Durga received a U/A certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification, along with no cuts and 22 mutes.
The film's director Sanalkumar Sasidharan had submitted the copies of the censored version of the film to festival director Sunit Tanden Saturday night, after arguments that lasted for over an hour. The authorities' move to conduct the jury's meeting on Monday is viewed as tactics to delay the decision as far as possible.
He had produced two DVDs of the censored version of the movie in 35mm print, along with a copy of the censor certificate.
The last few days have seen a standoff between the makers of S Durga and the festival authorities over the screening of the controversial film, which was one of the two films to be dropped from the screening schedule of IFFI's Indian Panorama section.
Three members, including the head of the jury panel Sujoy Ghosh have resigned from their position, in protest against the dropping of the two films, while six jury members have written to the I&B ministry raising concerns over the dropping of the films.
After Sanal petitioned the Kerala High Court over the issue, the Court directed IFFI to screen the film, after the censored version of the film is screened for the jury.
An appeal by the ministry to stay the direction was also rejected by the Kerala HC on November 24.
Asked about the delay in arranging a screening for the jury, Sanal had told reporters here that it was unfortunate that the festival authorities were dragging their feet over the issue. "They are actually treating us like dogs," he said.
