The Aga Khan Museum here has said it "deeply regrets" causing offence to members of the Hindu and other faith communities and has removed the presentation of the documentary 바카라Kaali바카라, after the Indian mission in Ottawa urged the Canadian authorities to take down all "provocative material" related to the controversial film.
Toronto-based filmmaker Leena Manimekalai shared the poster of her documentary 바카라Kaali바카라 on Twitter on Saturday which shows the goddess smoking and holding an LGBTQ flag in her hand.
The poster led to a social media storm with the hashtag 'Arrest Leena Manimekalai', and allegations that the filmmaker had hurt religious sentiments. A member of a group going by the name 바카라Gau Mahasabha바카라 said he had filed a complaint with Delhi Police.
Responding to the uproar on Twitter, the museum said in a statement that it 바카라deeply regrets바카라 that 'Kaali' had "inadvertently caused offence to members of the Hindu and other faith communities."
바카라Toronto Metropolitan University brought together works from students of diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds, each student exploring their individual sense of belonging as part of Canadian multiculturalism for the project 바카라Under the Tent바카라", it said on Tuesday (July 5).
바카라Toronto Metropolitan University바카라s project presentation was hosted once at the Aga Khan Museum on July 2, 2022 in the context of the Museum바카라s mission to foster intercultural understanding and dialogue through the arts,바카라 it said.
Respect for diverse religious expressions and faith communities forms an integral part of that mission. The presentation is no longer being shown at the Museum, the statement read.
바카라The Museum deeply regrets that one of the 18 short videos from 바카라Under the Tent바카라 and its accompanying social media post have inadvertently caused offence to members of the Hindu and other faith communities,바카라 it added.
The museum response came after the High Commission of India in Ottawa on Monday said that it had received complaints from leaders of the Hindu community in Canada about the 바카라disrespectful depiction of Hindu Gods바카라 on the poster of the film showcased as part of the 바카라Under the Tent바카라 project at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto.
바카라Our Consulate General in Toronto has conveyed these concerns to the organisers of the event. We are also informed that several Hindu groups have approached authorities in Canada to take action,바카라 the statement read.
바카라We urge the Canadian authorities and the event organisers to withdraw all such provocative material,바카라 it added.
Manimekalai, who was born in Madurai in Tamil Nadu, on Monday said she will continue to use her voice fearlessly till she is alive.
"I have nothing to lose. Till the time I live, I wish to live with a voice that speaks what I believe without fear. If the price for that is my life, it can be given," Manimekalai wrote in a Twitter post in Tamil in response to an article on the controversy.
"The film is about the events during Kaali's strolls through the streets of Toronto city one fine evening. If they watch the movie, they will put the hashtag 'love you Leena Manimekalai' rather than 'Arrest Leena Manimekalai'," she added in reply to another article.
Manimekalai, who made her feature directorial debut with 2021's 'Maadathy - An Unfairy Tale', isn바카라t the first filmmaker to find herself in trouble over religious references.
In 2017, for instance, filmmaker Sanal Kumar Sasidharan courted controversy over the title of his Malayalam film 'Sexy Durga', which explored religious divides in Kerala society. The film was later rechristened 'S Durga'.
Last year, Prime Video바카라s political saga 'Tandav' was at the centre of trouble for a scene depicting Lord Shiva in a college theatre programme. The scene was eventually dropped and the streamer issued an unconditional apology.
'Kaali' is yet to be shown to Indian audiences.
[With Inputs From PTI]
