Chennai: A weird dialogue — “It is mostly sex-starved women who get possessed by ghosts” — in recently released Tamil film ‘Merlin’ has become the subject matter of a PIL which wants the film to be taken off screens.
The film which has been given a ‘U’ certificate by the censor board, was released on February 23.
The first bench comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice Abdul Quddhose, before which the PIL of Praveena Charumathi Sampathkumar came up for hearing, ordered notices. Further hearing will be held on March 16.
The petitioner said she was shocked by a dialogue in the movie where a priest says in most cases only women had been possessed by ghosts, and that one of the main reasons for them to get possessed was not having sex. She said it caused disrespect to women.
Produced by JSB film Studio, ‘Merlin’ is written and directed by Keera, starring Vishnu Priyan and Ashwini Chandrashekar in lead roles.
Counsel S Silambu Selvan submitted that as per 2(1) and 5(E) of Cinematography Act women characters should not be degraded and denigrated in any form, as it would amount to an offence under Indecent Representation of Women (Prevention) Act.
The censor board has certified the movie without giving due importance to law, he said, adding specific scenes from the film should be removed forthwith.
Though Sampathkumar gave a written representation to censor board officials, requesting them to direct the film’s producer not to screen the movie with such a derogatory statement against women, it evoked no response, she said, forcing her to file the petition.
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