IN a cowardly and desperate move, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) denied permission to screen several films, including classics such as Battleship Potemkin, triggering widespread protests at the 30th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK). The Sangh Parivar’s arrogant agenda to prevent cinema-goers from viewing political films has resulted in the cancellation of numerous scheduled screenings.

Apart from the 100-year-old Soviet classic Battleship Potemkin, directed by Sergei Eisenstein, the films denied screening permission include The Hour of the Furnaces, co-directed by master filmmaker Fernando Solanas, the festival’s opening film Palestine 36, Spanish feature film Beef, the Palestinian film Wajib that won the Suvarna Chakoram at IFFK 2017, Timbuktu, the African Drama Award-winning film by Abderrahmane Sissako, a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, Once Upon a Time in Gaza, part of the Palestinian film package that faced heavy scrutiny, and Santosh, an Indian–international production directed by Sandhya Suri that received critical acclaim at Cannes 2024.

The absurdity and arbitrariness of the I&B Ministry’s decision became a major topic of discussion among festival delegates, who ridiculed the Central Government's attitude, particularly since these films had been originally selected by the Ministry itself. Battleship Potemkin is universally regarded as a textbook of cinema. Sergei Eisenstein’s 1925 masterpiece is among the most studied and celebrated works in film history. Scholars continue to examine its pioneering role in Soviet montage theory, its function as high-art propaganda, and its rejection of the individual “hero” in favour of collective representation.

The film Beef, directed by Ingrid Santos, explores themes such as immigration, identity, grief, mother–daughter conflict, hip-hop culture, and female empowerment. Delegates pointed out that the denial of permission appeared to be solely due to the film’s title.

Timbuktu, directed by Abderrahmane Sissako, sharply criticises jihadist groups in Mali, Africa, who impose extreme restrictions on daily life. The film depicts the enforcement of rigid dress codes, including mandatory burkhas, gloves, and stockings for women, as well as prohibitions on television, radio, football, alcohol, music, and public gatherings.

Delegates across festival venues strongly condemned the Central I&B Ministry’s move and launched protests. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan categorically stated that the state would not yield to the Centre’s “scissoring” and that all films denied permission would be screened at the festival. He described the Central Government’s action as unacceptable and asserted that an enlightened Kerala would not submit to such censorial interventions.

The Chief Minister further said that the censorship witnessed at IFFK reflects the autocratic nature of the Sangh Parivar regime, which seeks to suppress dissenting voices and diverse creative expressions across the country.

Cultural Affairs Minister Saji Cherian also reacted sharply, stating that the Central Government’s decision to deny permission for 19 films at the International Film Festival of Kerala constitutes an encroachment on citizens’ fundamental rights and undermines the state’s cultural and developmental aspirations.