The Indian High Commission in Canada urged the Canadian authorities and event organisers to withdraw ‘all such provocative materials.’ They were referring to the poster of ‘smoking Kaali’ by filmmaker Leena Manimekalai.
On Monday, the Indian High Commission requested the Canadian officials to take down the poster. They said in a statement that they received complaints from Hindu Community leaders in Canada. The leaders say that it is a derogatory representation of Hindu deities.
The movie is under the tent project at the Aga Khan Museum, Toronto. The statement read, “Our Consulate General in Toronto has conveyed these concerns to the event organisers.” Further, it added, “We are also aware that several Hindu groups approached the Canadian authorities to take action.”
The controversy came to light when filmmaker Leena Manimekalai shared the movie poster on social media. The ‘Kaali’ poster depicts a woman dressed as the Hindu Goddess Kaali. She is also smoking a cigarette while she wields a Trishul (trident), sickle, and a pride flag (belonging to the LGBTQ+ community).
When she shared the poster, she started receiving backlash and hate comments. Social media users asked the Aga Khan Museum to take down the movie. On the other hand, Leena Manimekalai urged people to watch it first before condemning it.
