A documentary poster showing the Hindu goddess Kaali smoking a cigarette has sparked outrage on a major part of social media. Many call for the filmmaker's arrest. Kaali, the documentary film in the middle of the queue, is going viral for all the wrong reasons.
Netizens have alleged that the movie poster is an insult to the Hindu goddess and hurts religious sentiments. With Twitterati demanding action against its creator Leena Manimekalai, the hashtag #ArrestLeenaManimekalai started trending on the microblogging platform.
Controversy erupted after Leena Manimekalai shared the movie poster on social media. The poster shows a woman who was dressed in the costume of the Goddess Kaali. She is seen smoking a cigarette in the poster of Kaali . Along with her usual trishul (trident) and sickle accessories.
The actress portraying the goddess is shown wielding the pride flag of the LGBTQ+ community flag. Shortly after sharing the poster, Leena Manimekalai was on the receiving end of bricks online. Social media users asked the Aga Khan Museum, where the film was shown, to remove it immediately.
The film's creator, Leena Manimekalai, urged people to watch the film first before vilifying it. “The film tells of the events when Kaali shows up one afternoon and takes a walk through the streets of Toronto.
Once you see the movie you will change the hashtag from #ArrestLeenaManimekalai to 'I love you Leena manimekalai,'” she tweeted. The furor over the Kaali film comes at a time when there has been an international controversy over comments made about the Prophet Muhammad by suspended BJP spokesman Nupur Sharma.