Sanal Kumar Sasidharan, the director of the Malayalam film "S Durga", today said he was going to sue the IFFI administration for contempt of court, claiming that it was "evading" the Kerala High Court's decision that the film be screened at the ongoing festival.
The HC had yesterday ordered the information and broadcasting ministry, the organisers of IFFI, to screen 'S Durga' at the 48th International Film Festival of India in Goa, after it was dropped from the 2017 Indian Panorama section.
The film festival, which opened Monday, will close on November 28.
"We are filing a contempt of court case tomorrow," Sanal, who is currently in Brisbane, Australia, for a film festival there, told PTI.
The director also took to Twitter to accuse IFFI and the ministry for acting in an "unconstitutional" manner.
"IFFI director is evading the acceptance of the order of Honourable High court. The government is openly challenging the judicial system also... The ministry is going totally unconstitutional. Where is this country going to," he tweeted.
"What is going on in our country! I am moving for a contempt of court case tomorrow," he wrote on Twitter.
There was no response from festival director Sunit Tandon despite several attempts to reach him.
Sanal is in Australia to attend the Asia Pacific Screen. His film is being screened there and he has been nominated in the best director category.
Asked if the team had received any word from IFFI on the screening of 'S Durga', lead actor Rajshri Desphande said they had no information.
"Our papers are complete and the copy of the film is there at the festival. We don't know anything more," Rajshri told PTI.
The actor, who was flying to Goa when contacted, said the team was elated after the court's decision.
"We are really happy. We are waiting for the IFFI (authorities) to tell us. Now that the court has given us a go-ahead, I hope things fall into place," she added.
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