Banned BBC documentary on PM Modi screened at FTII Pune

Amid row over the controversial BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the banned documentary 'The Modi Question' was screened at the premises of Pune's Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), informed the Student Association of FTII, Pune on Saturday.

The documentary was screened on January 26, as per the statement issued by the Student Association.
While speaking on the alleged attempts of the ruling government to ban the screening of the documentary, the student association mentioned that "curbing the freedom of media; banning of literature, music, literature etc is a sign of a society that is trodding downhill."


"On January 26, we screened the banned BBC documentary 'The Modi Question' at FTII. Throughout history, the banning of literature, music, and in recent times, media, has been a sign of a crumbling society," reads the statement.

It further stated that a government in a democracy should be open to criticism but instead, the party in power at the Center has been trying to brush this documentary under the carpet. The curbs on the documentary have further instigated the curiosity of people to watch it, said the association.

"The act of scrutiny should be welcomed by our elected representatives. Instead, they quickly tag it as false propaganda and try to shove it under the rug. They should know that the surest way for something to be watched is to ban it," further reads the statement.

Highlighting the content of the documentary, the student association remarked that the incidents and facts presented in it are barely the tip of the iceberg in terms of the violence that has been cast to fulfil the purpose. "However, the BBC documentary barely scratches the surface of the kind of violence that has been perpetuated throughout the country for a dedicated, singular, vicious purpose. It would be startling to us if anyone in India was surprised by the happenings in this documentary."

Further attacking the central government, the student's association alleged that communal violence has become a part and parcel of the ruling party's politics. "The voices echoing the Prime Minister's words and giving credibility to his actions are given a place in this series. It must not go unnoticed that these voices themselves deserve rigorous scrutiny."

They said that the purpose of screening the documentary was to counter the censorship, especially when its motives are blatant.

Earlier, this month, the government denounced the BBC series 'the Modi Question', calling it a "propaganda piece designed to push a discredited narrative".

The government also pulled down the series from various social media platforms, including Twitter and Youtube.