Left-backed MLAs in Kerala play Islamist film censors

A five-minute song in a Malayalam movie, which has IUML leader Dr M K Muneer in a guest role, is facing scissors after a section of Muslim leaders said acting in a cinema was against the laws of Islam.

Muneer, also the chairman of Indiavision TV, has made a guest appearance in the yet to be released movie Chembada, directed by Robin Thirumala, which tells the story of a music troupe. According to the director, Muneer, in the movie, visits a Muslim family on the eve of a wedding and performs in a mehfil. “It is a decent scene, there is nothing vulgar. We had taken utmost care to avoid any embarrassment for Muneer,” Thirumala said.

The controversy erupted when three Muslim MLAs, P T A Rahim, K T Jaleel and P M A Salam, said Muneer danced with actress Sreedevika and such a performance was “anti-Islamic.”

Rahim and Jaleel are IUML rebels, while Salam belongs to Indian National League, a break-away faction of IUML. All of them contested and won with the backing of the LDF.

“Any form of art has to be seen and reviewed within the frame of Islam. Hence the community leaders have to say whether Muneer’s performance in a movie was within the frame of the religion,” Salam told The Indian Express.

“The film contained nothing to create a controversy. Muneer has been a friend of mine for several years. He had acted in a musical album. My intention was only to give a chance to the artiste in that politician,”said Thirumala. Thirumala said he had been flooded with threatening calls, saying the movie would not be allowed to be released.

Fundamentalists have already declared that they would not tolerate Muneer donning a role in that movie. Samastha Kerala Sunni Students Federation state secretary Nazar Faizy Koodathai said acting in a movie or serial was against the teachings of Islam. “Islam is not against live programmes, which present people and issues bona fide. But, a cinema, which has artificiality and theatrical performance, is against the tenets of Islam.”

As many as 15 movie houses in Muslim-dominated Malappuram district had been set on fire by extremists in 1993-94.

“Now, I am thinking of removing the song scene to save the Rs 1.5-crore film,” Thirumala said. Muneer told The Indian Express that he did not understand what was against Islam in this issue. “It’s a pity that MLAs close to the CPM, a progressive party which stands for right to expression, have raised the issue,” he said. “This controversy should not have taken place in this literate state. A Muslim country like Iran has become the home for good cinema. We should not go back to the Taliban kind of intolerant culture,” said Muneer.

The CPM has so far avoided commenting on the issue. CPM Central Committee member and Minister for Cultural Affairs M A Baby said he would not comment on the issue without looking into the details. Party State Secretariat member V V Dakshinamoorthy said the MLAs were posing a question to the Muslim community leadership to react on the issue.

Asked why MLAs close to CPM took such a retrogressive step, he said his party had no role in it. “IUML and several Muslim community leaders had protested against the controversial Class-VII textbook, saying the content was against religion. Against this backdrop, the MLAs felt the religious leaders should make their stand clear on Muneer’s interest in film,” he said.

Sources said Muneer’s detractors in the party had also played a key role in igniting the issue. A section the League had been critical about Muneer’s music album.