Shashi Tharoor urges Union Ministry to lift ban on 19 films at Kerala film festival

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, commented on the Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry’s refusal to permit the screening of 19 films at the 2025 International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK). He said that the bans are disheartening for those who "promote India on the world stage, and diminish our cultural standing both abroad and at home."

Tharoor, in his X post, wrote, "The unprecedented crisis facing 30th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), because of the denial of the mandatory "Censor Exemption" to 19 selected films, has forced the cancellation of screenings and sparked widespread criticism regarding the consistency and logic of film censorship in India."

"While clearance is a legal requirement, international film festivals are granted a special "Censor Exemption" by the Ministry of I&B to screen foreign films uncut and without certification. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is



consulted to ensure films do not damage diplomatic relations or threaten state security. Diplomatic sensitivities over the "Palestine" factor may have led to the blocking of Wajib, Palestine 36, and others. But our relations with Israel are hardly likely to be damaged by a film screening! The rejection of Battleship Potemkin, Beef and the anti-colonial The Hour of the Furnaces can be classified as lack of application of mind by those entrusted with applying the rules," the Congress MP went on.

"In short, the denials defy logic, are disheartening to all who seek to promote India on the world stage, and diminish our cultural standing both abroad and at home. I have personally taken this up with the Ministers for Information & Broadcasting and External Affairs, urging them to reconsider these exclusions. We must ensure that red tape and censorship do not stifle the spirit of one of India’s finest celebrations of cinema," Tharoor concluded.