02 January,2017 03:36 PM IST | | Mohar Basu
Producer claims title 'Haraamkhor' and teacher-student relationship shown in the film ticked off moral cops
Shweta Tripathi and Nawazuddin Siddiqui in 'Haraamkhor'
Shweta Tripathi and Nawazuddin Siddiqui in 'Haraamkhor'
After fighting an eight-month court battle to ensure the film sees the light of day, makers of Nawazuddin Siddiqui-starrer are in for fresh woes. Producer Guneet Monga and a few members of the film's cast have received threat messages from mischief makers, who have taken exception to the film's plot - relationship between a 14-year-old (played by Shweta Tripathi) and her tuition teacher (Nawazuddin).
Accusing them of polluting the culture of the country with such a story as well as for the expletive title, the moral police have been sending hate messages incessantly. Says Monga, "They have been sending messages, questioning why we are making 'provocative movies' and 'movies that aren't in keeping with the morals of the society'. I have got a number of mails, texts, and messages on social media and it's alarming."
The film was recently cleared by the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal after the makers challenged the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC)'s decision of not giving it a thumbs-up for public screening. While the threats are getting a little too hot to handle, Monga wants to wait for a while before approaching the police.
"Even during the row with CBFC, we never went around talking about it. We fought the case for nearly eight months. We don't want to attract more negative attention. We are thrilled that the film is releasing in 12 days. People are shallow and will remain so. There's little we can do about it. Discussing the negativity will only take away from the essence of the film," she adds.
If the mischief mongers up the ante, the makers will consider taking serious action. "We haven't asked for extra security either. When we named the film Haraamkhor, we did so as it was cute and juvenile. It is a delicate story told from the perspective of three kids. It is not a sensational story, but a slice-of-life movie. We want people to watch the film and decide for themselves."
