Kaali row: Aga Khan Museum removes film’s presentation

The Aga Khan Museum said it ‘deeply regrets’ causing offence to members of the Hindu and other faith communities and has removed the presentation of the documentary ‘Kaali’, 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 ‘Kaali’ on ‘Twitter’ recently, which shows the goddess smoking and holding an LGBTQ flag in her hand. The poster led to a social media storm. Responding to the uproar on ‘Twitter’, the museum said in a statement that it deeply regrets that ‘Kaali’ had ‘inadvertently offended members of the Hindu and other faith communities’.

Toronto Metropolitan University brought together works from students of diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds for the project ‘Under the Tent’, it said recently. Toronto Metropolitan University’s project presentation was hosted once at the Aga Khan Museum on July 2, 2022, in the context of the Museum’s mission to foster intercultural understanding and dialogue through the arts, 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.

“The Museum deeply regrets that one of the 18 short videos from ‘Under the Tent’ and its accompanying social media post have inadvertently offended members of the Hindu and other faith communities,” it added.

The museum’s response came after the High Commission of India in Ottawa on July 4 said that it had received complaints from leaders of the Hindu community in Canada about the disrespectful depiction of Hindu Gods on the poster of the film showcased as part of the ‘Under the Tent’ project at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto.

“Our 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. We urge authorities and the event organisers to withdraw all such provocative material,” statement read.

Leena Manimekalai shared the poster of her documentary, which shows the goddess smoking and holding an LGBTQ flag