Bengali film with characters named Ram and Sita stirs demand for a ban
The saffron brigade has now set its crosshairs on a Bengali movie featuring national award winning actress Rituparna Sengupta and actor-turned Trinamool MLA Chiranjit Chakraborty.
Waiting for release, the film, Rang Beronger Kori (Colour of Money), is a collage of four short stories, one of which has two tribal characters named Ram and Sita. The film has been directed by a young filmmaker, Ranjan Ghosh.
Hindu Jagran Manch has taken exception to the naming of characters and has raised its objection with the Central Board of Film Certification chairman Prasoon Joshi and Union information and broadcasting minister Smriti Irani. The manch has also shot a mail to the Kolkata regional office of the Censor Board saying the latter should not allow the release of a film that can “hurt religious sentiments of Hindus”.
“Ram is a Hindu god and Sita is a goddess. If a film is made on them, then it has to be made properly. One cannot play silly games with our gods. If the film is released, then I will move court,” said Vivekananda Singh, a member of the Manch’s Bengal unit.
Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh, a veteran swayamsevak who led the Bengal unit of the Manch before taking charge of BJP, offered support to the protestors. “If anyone makes a movie that hurts sentiments of the masses then it is disgraceful. We cannot support that. Such films should not be released,” he said.
Filmmaker Ranjan Ghosh slammed HJM for the protest.
“They are not custodians of Hinduism or Ram and Sita. They should mind their own business. Their attitude is hurting my religious sentiment and their behaviour is weakening the very base of my religion which is broad and inclusive. I need no lesson on Hinduism from them,” Ghosh told HT over phone. “I’ll never change the names of the characters.
“I grew up watching Ram Leela. I know better than them how to protect the idea of Ram and Sita. They are no one to question our love for our gods and goddesses. It is out of love that most people name their children after gods,” he said, adding, the film has no relation with Ramayana.