Tamil Nadu government bans Hollywood movie, Dam 999 as TN, Kerala spar over Mullaperiyar dam

CHENNAI/KOCHI: When the Mullaperiyar dam was constructed in 1895 and a lease agreement for 999 years signed between the Dewan of Travancore and the state secretary of Madras Presidency, the finer points did not matter much because of the overriding control of the British over the signatories.

A tumultuous 116 years later, Travancore - which became a part of Kerala - and Madras Presidency - which metamorphosed into Tamil Nadu -are fighting over virtually everything concerning the dam, including the stability of the dam, the idea of a new dam in place of the old one, and the water level to be maintained in the dam.

The latest salvo was fired on Thursday by the Tamil Nadu government, which banned screening of Dam 999, a Hollywood movie directed by Gulf-based Kerala entrepreneur Sohan Roy, which has a theme that palpably alludes to the fears in Kerala over a likely breach of the dam and the devastation it can wreak across multiple districts in the state. A one-line statement from the Tamil Nadu chief secretary on Thursday, said "The Tamil Nadu government has banned the screening of the movie Dam 999 with immediate effect".

"I am disappointed to learn about the Tamil Nadu government's decision to ban the film, especially since they have banned the film without seeing it", Sohan Roy told ET from Dubai.

He said the ban was illegal as there is a Supreme Court ruling against banning of a film after it had been certified by Censor Board. Roy, however, has no plans to challenge the ban order immediately. "I will approach the Supreme Court if there is a national ban, he said, following the movie's premiere in Dubai.

Roy said the Tamil Nadu government's action was particularly surprising since the state is known for its thriving film industry, and the "people in the industry know the pain of making a film more than anywhere else".

On Thursday, DMK had scored a political point when it petitioned the prime minister to ban screening of the movie, arguing that it would lead to law and order problems in the state. With its ban on the movie, the AIADMK has ensured it is not left behind, though the move comes a day after theatre owners in Tamil Nadu had decided against screening the movie.

Across the border, the Kerala government has no objection to the screening of the movie, but it is bracing to take up the matter of the real dam with the Centre. An all-party meeting chaired by chief minister Oommen Chandy has demanded lowering of the water level in the dam from the current level of 136ft to 120ft. That flies in the face of TN's demand to raise the water level to 142ft.