SC grants interim protection to filmmaker Leena Manimekalai

Leena Manimekalai, on Friday, was granted interim protection from any coercive steps, by the Supreme Court, in multiple FIRs lodged against her over the poster of her documentary film showing goddess ‘Kali’ smoking a cigarette.

A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha issued notice to the States and directed that no coercive steps shall be taken against the filmmaker either on the basis of the FIRs which had already been lodged or on the basis of FIRs which may be lodged, concerning the ‘Kali’ poster row. Taking into account that the lodging of FIRs in multiple states may cause serious prejudice to the filmmaker and issued notice to the states on a plea for consolidation of all FIRs in one place.

Manimekalai had approached the top court seeking protection and quashing of the multiple FIRs registered against her in various States. The plea also sought clubbing of all the FIRs registered against her in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttarakhand over the poster.

Manimekalai had previously said her attempt as a creative filmmaker was not to offend the religious sentiment of anyone but to depict the image of a radically inclusive goddess.
She said she also received open calls for violence against her, her crew, and her family; after she tweeted a poster of her film, Kaali.