'Parched' director Leena Yadav files police complaint as Gujarat's Rabari community raises pitch for ban on film
Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; September 27, 2016)

Fresh trouble has been brewing for the makers of Parched with the Rabari community in Gujarat seeking a ban on the film. Parched's producer Aseem Bajaj, husband of the film's director, Leena Yadav, has been receiving calls threatening him with dire consequences if the film is not pulled out of theatres immediately.

The callers apparently claim that the costumes in Parched are similar to what the Rabari women wear and that the film shows them in poor light and is defamatory to their community. Parched stars Radhika Apte, Surveen Chawla, Adil Hussain and Tannishta Chatterjee.

Says Leena, "It is a scary scenario. My husband is getting threat calls. I do not know how they got his number, but since the film released on Friday, he has been getting calls from different numbers. They are hurling expletives and have told him that the Rabaris are a six-million-strong community, so he should be wary. He has been flooded with nasty messages on WhatsApp as well."

As a precautionary measure, the makers have lodged a complaint with the Oshiwara police. "The cops have asked for the numbers from which the calls have been coming," informs the director.

Leena says her film does not make any mention of the Rabari community. "I have not named any community, caste or religion. There is a disclaimer about resemblances too. They are reacting to the costumes. I have used a mix of Gujarati and Rajasthani costumes. But, they feel it looks like theirs. If I wear a costume from Thailand, I do not become a Thai. Our identity is not made by the clothes we wear," she explains.

She adds that they initially tried to engage them in conversation, but they were in no mood to settle for anything less than a ban. Last Thursday, the Gujarat High Court issued notices to the Central government, the Central Board of Film Certification and Leena acting on a PIL seeking ban on the film's release. The petitioner, Masarubhai Rinabhai Rabari, had demanded the ban claiming that the film is against the sentiments of his community.

The matter will come up for hearing today (September 27).