'Varthamanam' to get theatre release after Censor Board controversy

Siddharth Shiva's 'Varthamanam' is gearing up for release on March 12 after a series of tussles with the Kerala Censor Board. Scriptwriter Aryadan Shoukat and director Siddharth Shivan took part in a press meet on Saturday where they expressed their shock at the Censor Board's unprecedented move to scrap an entire film.

Director Siddharth said that it was usually only parts of a film that the board would object to. However, in the case of 'Varthamanam', which deals with the controversial JNU riots of 2020, the film was denied certification by the Kerala Regional board, citing alleged 'anti-national' portions. The Censor Revision Committee in Mumbai later granted the certification.

Scriptwriter Shoukath had also earlier alleged that a now-deleted tweet by a member of the board had clearly pointed out that the film was deemed 'anti-national' and that there was some personal enmity towards Shoukath, a member of the Congress party.

They maintained that 'Varthamanam' was a film intended to speak up for freedom of speech and democracy in a country currently being ruled by fascist interests. They wished to convey the message of unity through the journey of the protagonist, the two added.