In 2017, I&B ministry had banned the exhibition of three documentaries “In the Shade of Fallen Chinar” “March, March, March” and the “Unbearable Being of Lightness” at the 10th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala (IDSFFK).The Kerala HC heard the writ petition filed by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, the organiser of the festival.While “Unbearable Being of Lightness” talks about the suicide of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula in Hyderabad, “March, March March” is about the protests at Jawaharlal Nehru University and “In the shade of Fallen Chinar” is a short documentary giving a glimpse into the lives of a group of young Kashmiri artists.Ramachandra told PTI, of the three films, the court did not take a stand on the one on Kashmiri students.”But the other two films were allowed to be screened,” he recalled.Incidentally, in 2019 too, Kerala State Chalachitra Academy filed a writ petition against the banning of Anand Patwardhan’s “Vivek/Reason” by the I&B ministry, again at (IDSFFK), stating that screening of the film could cause law and order problems.But the Kerala High Court held the Centre’s claim cannot be upheld and that the screening was permissible according to the guidelines framed by the ministry.Haravoo also said, a few years ago, when the Central government brought the rule that documentaries submitted for National awards must be certified, several filmmakers, including Patwardhan, protested and finally stopped submitting for the award.
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