Panaji: The standoff between the makers of Malayalam film S Durga (originally titled Sexy Durga) and the IFFI organizers turned murkier Saturday as the latter refused to meet the film's director for over an hour.
The film's director, Sanal Kumar Sasidharan, was in Goa to hand over the censored version of the film to the festival organizers after the Kerala High Court directed the IFFI jury to watch it and decide on screening the film in the festival, which concludes Tuesday.
However, Sanal was not allowed to meet festival director Sunit Tanden for over an hour as the officials insisted that he submit the copy of the film to the print department and leave the director's office.
Reporters, who were present in front of the festival director's office, were repeatedly requested to leave the place, even as Tanden remained in his chamber with the door latched from inside. On the other side of the corridor, Sanal and some officials were heard arguing in loud voice.
Sanal was allowed to meet Tanden after the long wait, and on a condition that the media will not be allowed inside the IFFI director's chamber.
"I came here and waited for an hour because I wanted to meet the festival director. I ended up arguing a lot because they were not allowing me inside. Finally, they allowed me inside and I handed over the censored version of the film in DCP, DVDs and the censor certificate to the IFFI director. The jury has supported the film. Now, they (the government) say the jury has not seen the censored version. Ok, let them see it. There has not been a single cut. I think it's only a procedure. The festival is going to end. Unless they don't arrange a screening for the jury tomorrow, there is no scope of the film being screened," Sanal told the media after coming out of the IFFI director's office.
Asked what the festival director told him on receiving the film's copies, Sanal said 'nothing'. He said he has got an acknowledgment of receipt in written but no assurance that the film will be screened.
"The screening can be arranged if the festival wants to. My film has been screened in over 50 festivals as an Indian film, not as a Malayalam film. It has won more than 10 international awards as an Indian film. But in my country, we are being treated as stray dogs. They are putting up a precedence that discourage independent filmmakers from making films like this," he said.
A spokesperson for the festival director said the authorities concerned would now follow the due procedure to decide on whether the film can be screened or not.
"Sanal was asked to hand over a censored version of the film which he did today. The film has been received by festival director Sunit Tanden and the acknowledgement has been given. And the festival authorities will now put the procedure for the due course of action," the spokesperson said.
The last few days had 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.
Officials reached out to the S Durga makers late on Friday, only after the Kerala High Court, despite a request from the ministry, refused to stay its earlier order, which had directed festival authorities to screen the film.
Read more: Latest on IFFI | It is petty official ego that stops 'S Durga', says Sasidharan