Taking Bhobishyoter Bhoot off theatres not a positive sign: Prosenjit Chatterjee
Kolkata, Feb 26 (IBNS): Tollywood superstar Prosenjit Chatterjee, who so far maintained a studied silence on the ongoing controversy over removing the Bengali film Bhobishyoter Bhoot (Ghosts of the Future) from cinemas in West Bengal without an explanation, said the incident was not a positive sign.
When asked by IBNS on the sidelines of an event in Kolkata on Tuesday, Chatterjee, who has been criticised on social media for not protesting against the incident, said: "It is not clear as to who has done or the reason behind such an action. But I believe cinema is an independent place. Audience is the only judge of a film. If the audience had not liked it, it should have been pulled off."
"Whatever has happened is not a positive sign I would say," the 56-year old actor-producer, who has also appeared in some Hindi films, said.
On Feb 16, screening of director Anik Dutta's Bhobishyoter Bhoot, reportedly a political satire from a filmmaker who was critical of the ruling government in the state, was stopped across the state.
The film was released on Feb 15.
Reportedly, Bhobishyoter Bhoot has certain sequences of political satires.
Several film personalities including veteran Soumitra Chatterjee had staged protests against the incident.
The incident occurred months after Dutta had questioned the excessive use of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's pictures at the government-sponsored film and cultural centre, Nandan, during the 24th Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) in 2018.
Dutta had said the use of Banerjee's pictures all over at Nandan at an international film festival was not a visual pleasure.
In an article in ABP, the director, who earlier made the superhit Bhooter Bhabishyat (Future of the Ghosts) in 2012, had expressed his fear that he could face harassment for criticising the state government.
Sharp criticism followed the suspension of screening since the West Bengal Chief Minister herself is a vocal critic of the censorship of creative people under the regime of BJP-ruled central government and had accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of imposing an "Emergency" like situation on people and free speech.
When Banerjee, who is also the West Bengal Information and Cultural Affairs Minister, was asked about the incident, she had ducked the question.
Bhobishyoter Bhoot, which is not a sequel to Bhooter Bhabishyat, has an ensemble cast.
Interestingly, the film also stars Moon Moon Sen, who is an MP of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC).
Image credit: IBNS
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