Kaali poster row: `To me, she is a meat-eating, alcohol-accepting goddess,` says Mamata Banerjee`s MP

`Kaali` movie poster controversy: Mahua Moitra indirectly made a comment to the huge controversy that erupted over filmmaker Leena Manimekalai`s film poster.

New Delhi: Mahua Moitra, All India Trinamool Congress MP, has reacted to the controversy over Indian-origin, Canada-based filmmaker Leena Manimekalai's film poster which depicted a woman dressed as Goddess Kaali holding a cigarette along with a LGBTQ poster in the background. The politician was asked to comment on the criticism received by the poster during an event. 

Speaking at India Today Conclav, Moitra explained, "Kaali to me, is a meat-eating, alcohol-accepting goddess. You have the freedom to imagine your goddess. There are some places where whiskey is offered to gods and in some other places it would be blasphemy."

She further said that there are different religious offerings and rituals in different regions. "When you go to Sikkim, you will see that they offer whiskey to Goddess Kali. But if you will go to Uttar Pradesh and if you tell them that you offer whiskey to the goddess as ‘prasad’, they will call it blasphemy," she explained.

What is the controversy of the 'Kaali poster'?

Earlier, today, the Uttar Pradesh police registered an FIR on charges of criminal conspiracy, offence in place of worship, deliberately hurting religious sentiments, and intention to provoke breach of peace against filmmaker Leena Manimekalai for her movie 'Kaali' for the disrespectful depiction of Hindu Gods. The controversy erupted after she took to Twitter to share a poster of her film which depicted a woman dressed in a costume portraying the Goddess and smoking. A flag of the LGBT community is seen in the background.

Who is Leena Manimekalai?

An Indian filmmaker, poet, and actor with a base in Toronto, Leena Manimekalai was born in Madurai. She has produced a dozen films in various genres, including documentary, fiction, and experimental poem films, in addition to five published poetry anthologies. She has received recognition from numerous national and international film festivals for her participation, mentions, and best film prizes.

She resides in Canada at the moment. She also runs a production firm called Leena Manimekalai Productions. Leena has directed a number of documentaries. Some of her most known films are, to name a few, Mathamma, Parai, Breaking The Shackles, Love Lost, A Hole in the Bucket, Goddesses, Sengadal, My Mirror Is the Door, and Song of Resistance.