A major controversy has disrupted the 12th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) in Thiruvananthapuram, as the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) has withheld screening permissions for several films, leading to cancellations.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has sharply criticized the decision, calling it “deeply unfortunate” and highlighting the denial of clearance to 19 scheduled films. On December 16, 2025, he noted on social media that the original list was longer, but some approvals followed his intervention with I&B Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, requested by festival chairman Riyas LP, while others await Ministry of External Affairs clearance.
Tharoor described the bureaucracy's stance as a “staggering lack of cinematic understanding,” questioning blocks on classics like Battleship Potemkin, a 1928 Russian Revolution film seen by millions worldwide, including in India. "The list of 19 films suggests an extraordinary degree of cinematic illiteracy on the part of the bureaucracy. To deny clearance to a classic like Battleship Potemkin, a 1928 film on the Russian Revolution which has been viewed by literally hundreds of millions around the world (and in India) over the last century, is laughable. Denying permission to some Palestinian films reflects bureaucratic over-cautiousness rather than the cultural breadth of vision that should be involved when it comes to world cinema," he wrote.
It is most unfortunate that an unseemly controversy has arisen over the central government's denial of clearance to 19 films which were scheduled to be screened at the International Film Festival of Kerala in Thiruvananthapuram.
The original list was much longer, but several… — Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) December 16, 2025
He urged Ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw and S Jaishankar to expedite approvals, warning of damage to India’s cultural image, especially in cinema-loving Kerala.
Films lacking Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) approval require special I&B Ministry exemption for festival screenings, and the absence of these has stalled the IFFK schedule.
Veteran filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan decried restrictions on landmarks like Battleship Potemkin, The Hour of the Furnaces, and the Spanish film Beef, calling it a “clear misunderstanding of cinema” that judges by titles or politics, undermining artistic freedom. Organizers are negotiating resolutions before the festival ends on December 19, amid delegate inconvenience.
Also Read: Karan Johar, Malaika Arora compare Pitch To Get Rich contestant to Shashi Tharoor; Congress MP gives cheeky reply!
from Latest Bollywood News | Hindi Movie News | Hindi Cinema News | Indian Movies | Films - Bollywood Hungama https://ift.tt/WUSEAgP
via hungMusic1