As soon as they heard the word ‘Beef’, they drew their swords; Centre attempted to crush IFFK: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan

Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has described the Central Ministry of Information and Broadcasting’s decision to deny screening permission to several films at the 30th Kerala International Film Festival (KIFF) as absurd. He said the extraordinary difficulties faced by this year’s festival were caused by the Centre. By denying permission to 19 films, the Ministry encroached upon the creative freedom of the festival. As a result, screenings of around ten films had to be cancelled on the opening day. Following protests from the state government, 13 of the films were eventually cleared for screening. The Chief Minister said this was a stark example of Sangh Parivar policies that suppress dissenting voices and diverse creative expressions. He made these remarks while speaking at the inaugural session of the IFFK closing ceremony. Permission was denied for the Spanish film titled Beef. The reason, he explained, was a misunderstanding: the word ‘beef’ carries a specific meaning in hip-hop culture, referring to rivalry or conflict, and has no connection to the food item. The Ministry, however, assumed it referred to the meat and reacted accordingly. He described the decision as absurd. Screening permission was also denied for world-class films such as Battleship Potemkin, which, according to the Chief Minister, reflects the Centre’s ignorance about global cinema. He added that the Ministry is even interfering in determining which filmmakers are allowed to come to Kerala.

The Chief Minister added that delegates from Turkey and Azerbaijan were denied visas to attend IFFK, and they asked whether it was because of their countries or because of their films. This, he stressed, was not a mere bureaucratic technicality, but an attempt to undermine IFFK, which has been running for 30 years. Recognising this, the state government took a firm stance. Part of this approach involved ensuring that all films previously denied permission could be screened. The Chief Minister asserted that IFFK would continue to stand its ground against any anti-democratic or fascist measures that threaten creative freedom.