The Indian High Commission in Canada demanded that “all such offensive material” be removed from the “smoking Kaali” poster by filmmaker Leena Manimekalai in a statement they released on Monday.
The High Commission claimed in a statement that it had received complaints regarding “disrespectful depiction of Hindu Gods on the poster of a film presented as part of the ‘Under the Tent project at the Aga Khan Museum, Toronto” from leaders of the Hindu community in Canada.
After sharing the movie’s poster on social media, director Leena Manimekalai sparked the uproar. A woman is shown on the poster wearing the goddess Kaali’s robes. In the image, she can be seen lighting up a cigarette. The actor portraying the goddess is seen holding the pride flag for the LGBTQ+ community in addition to her customary trishul (trident) and sickle.
“Our Consulate General in Toronto has conveyed these concerns to the organisers of the event,” read the statement.
“We are also informed that several Hindu groups have approached authorities in Canada to take action. We urge the Canadian authorities and the event organizers to withdraw all such provocative material,” it added.
Leena Manimekalai was the target of online slurs soon after sharing the poster. Social media users urged the Aga Khan Museum, where the movie’s premiere took place, to immediately take it down.
Leena Manimekalai, the film’s director, has meantime urged viewers to see the film before criticising it.
A Tamil news website quoted Manimekalai as saying that the documentary centres on the events that happen one evening when Goddess Kali arrives and strolls across Toronto.
