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The Tamil Nadu Government has banned the screening of the film Dam 999 with immediate effect.
The two-line announcement that reads, “The Tamil Nadu Government has decided to ban the film Dam 999, which is creating fear among the people about the Mullaperiyar dam”, followed pressure from various political parties in the State including DMK, MDMK and PMK. The political parties demanded a ban on the film “in the interest of the people of Tamil Nadu”.
The English film - based on a real life incident that took place in 1975 in China that reportedly killed over 2 lakh people, was scheduled to release on Friday (November 25).
PTI reports: Following the ban, the director of the movie now plans to move the Supreme Court.
The Government banned the film on the grounds that it can disturb cordial ties between the State and Kerala.
“The title of the film candidly refers to the Mullaperiyar Dam row (between Tamil Nadu and Kerala). Since it is capable of creating panic among people over the collapse of the dam and divide people of the two States, the Chief Minister, Ms J. Jayalalithaa, has directed banning the screening of the movie,” the Chief Secretary, Mr Debendranath Sarangi, said.
The film could also lead to law and order situation in Tamil Nadu, he said in a detailed statement that followed an earlier terse one-line release from him announcing the ban.
The ban was described as “totally unfortunate” by film director Sohan Roy, who said he planned to approach the Supreme Court against it because he has been given a go ahead by the Censor Board.
“This should not happen to any movie or creative work in India. Such actions will kill creative minds,” Roy, who is in Dubai in connection with the film release in UAE, told PTI when contacted from Kochi.
He said Dam 999 is a film with a ‘social cause’, which describes hazards dams can cause and creates awareness among the masses about the impending dangers of a dam collapse if not attended to on time. The ban would send “wrong signals”, he said and pointed out there was not a word mentioning ’Mullaiperiyar’ or the issue in the film.
The ban on Dam 999 comes even as the two States are locked in a war of words over the 116-year-old Mullaperiyar dam, which Kerala wants brought down to build a new one but is being opposed by Tamil Nadu.
The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Ms Jayalalithaa, had yesterday shot off a letter to the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, asking him to advise Kerala not to whip up fear among its people for political mileage as the dam is as “safe and good as new“.
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