Screening disrupted at NFAI Pune, right-wing outfit says 'I Am Not The River Jhelum' showed Army in poor light
Members of the right-wing organization Samast Hindu Bandhav Sanghatana disrupted the screening of the docudrama 'I Am Not The River Jhelum' at the National Film Archive of India in Pune, claiming it portrayed the Indian Army negatively.
FollowMembers of a right-wing organization created a disturbance during the screening of a docudrama at the National Film Archive of India (NFAI) in Pune on Sunday. The disruption, spearheaded by the Samast Hindu Bandhav Sanghatana, was sparked by their assertion that the film portrayed the Indian Army in an unfavourable light. The incident unfolded amidst the screening of 'I Am Not The River Jhelum,' part of the 'A Festival of Contemporary Indian Films' jointly organized by the Pune International Centre and the International Federation of Film Critics-India Chapter.
According to officials, the protesters, vocally expressing their discontent, demanded an immediate halt to the screening. They were subsequently detained and later released after being served notices under the Maharashtra Police Act, 1951. Ravindra Padwal, president of the right-wing organization, articulated his outfit's objection to the film's portrayal of the Indian Army in Kashmir. "Some people who were in the audience informed us about such a portrayal of the Army in the film. By the time we reached there, the movie was about to get over. We objected to the scenes and raised slogans in support of the Army," Padwal stated.
Padwal further asserted their demand for the director to showcase the docudrama and provide explanations. However, discussions with the organizers were interrupted by the arrival of the police, who subsequently escorted them to a police station, Padwal mentioned.
Expressing disdain for any portrayal tarnishing the image of the Indian Army, Padwal emphasized, "Even if people follow a certain ideology, be it progressive or regressive, they should be proud of the Indian Army. If the director has projected the Indian Army in a bad light, it amounts to sedition and an offence should be registered against him."
The festival, which took place from February 9 to 11, showcased numerous award-winning films across various Indian languages, including Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Bengali, Tamil, Manipuri-Tangkhul, Rajasthani-Hindi, and Khasi-Jaintia-Garo-Hindi, as confirmed by the organizers.
