IFFK

They have been trying to silence me, I started singing: Prakash Raj flays silencers of dissent

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A candlelight vigil in memory of victims of cyclone Okhi marked the inaugural ceremony of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday. The 22nd edition began with the screening of the French-Lebanese movie The Insult, which explores the lives of refugees in Arab countries.

The rather sombre inaugural ceremony, however, was marked by a fiery speech by actor Prakash Raj who was a guest of honour at the function. In a speech that sent out a powerful message to 'fascist forces', the prominent actor urged the film fraternity to speak up. "Yes, we are passing through difficult times. It is not just creative voice, any form of dissent is being silenced," he said. "I have started talking because I want to tell that when they muzzle dissent, a louder voice will evolve. I raise my voice as an artist because I feel responsible. They have been threatening me, I laugh at them. They have been trying to silence me, I started singing," he said.

Prakash Raj has been very vocal in recent times where he has took a stand in matters of intolerance, and censorship. He had courted recently when he shot an open letter at Union Minister Anant Kumar Hegde, questioning why the minister brought religion into nationalism. “Are you guys reincarnation of Hitler,” he had asked.

In a word of praise for Kerala, he said : “When I come to Kerala I don’t come with a script to talk because there is no censor here.”

As many as 190 films from 65 countries would be screened at the week-long festival this year. Films will be exhibited in 20 various categories like 'Indian Cinema Today', 'Malayalam Films Today', 'Contemporary Masters in Focus', 'Retrospective and Identity and Space.'

Meanwhile, in protest against their films not getting entry into the IFFK, a parallel film festival Kazhcha is being organised by a group of filmmakers led by Sanal Kumar Sasidharan, whose controversial Malayalam film S Durga was not screened at the International Film Festival of India, recently concluded in Goa.

The state government has made it clear that 'S Durga' will be screened at IFFK only if it gets clearance from the court.

(with inputs from agencies)

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Topics : #Prakash Raj | #Cinema

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