Giving a keynote lecture on “Art, Literature, Freedom against Caste and Patriarchy” at the much awaited, progressive students led, Dravidam X Literature Fest 2025

#DXLF2025

Delegate Registration Link: https://docs.google.com/…/1FAIpQLSeAKGxZhdna…/viewform

Trivandrum welcomes me with an interview published in Kalakaumudi Weekly

What I spoke to Chittur Shanmughadas and Jothish Puthans on #Kaali #forcedexile #FreePanchajanyam International Film Festival #Amazonia #ClimateAction #Saracura #UpcomingTamilDirectorial

Foreword

In December 2021, when I received word that my submission to the i am…project’s call for proposals had been selected as part of Toronto Metropolitan University’s “Under the Tent”cohort of graduate students from universities across Canada, I was elated. Though it wasn’t meant to bring me either credits or grades, I was excited to be part of an academic research project that would take me beyond my own master’s course in Film at York University.

Exactly seven months later, on 2 July 2022, I finally had an opportunity to share the creative piece that I had spent the duration of the program developing, in an exhibition at the Aga Khan Museum for Canada Day celebrations. The performance documentary short, Kaali, is a film-meditation on the themes of being, becoming and belonging in the city of Tkaronto. In the film, I embodied the Indian goddess Kali, whose roots lie in the Indigenous and caste-oppressed communities of the Indian subcontinent, and wandered the streets of downtown Tkaranto to evoke the reactions of people from all walks of life. Along with a pride flag and camera to represent my spirit as a BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour) Queer filmmaker, my embodiment of Kali included a poignant moment in which I, dressed as the goddess, shared a cigarette with a street dweller at the park near Kensington Market. This moment, which was intended to highlight the radically inclusive nature of the deity whose image I grew up with, made its way onto the poster for the film, which I proudly shared on social media.

While I slept in my campus residence on the night of 2 July, Twitter India started trending with thousands of tweets, all with the same hashtag: #ArrestLeenaManimekalai. Literally overnight, a tsunami of death threats, rape threats, and other hateful abuse flooded my timelines, spewed from the keyboards of enraged Indian netizens who felt that my film poster had insulted Kali.

It took a moment for me to fully comprehend what was happening; like so many other Indian artists and activists in recent years, I had become the victim of Hindu fundamentalist cyber-vigilantes’ carefully orchestrated campaign of digitized violence. My poster, it seemed, had become the fodder for their hate machine.

The abuse was not just limited to me—my crew, family, friends, and even more distant acquaintances all were trampled by monstrous amounts of online hate and slander. This vicious hate campaign also extended into the real world—in addition to several police cases filed against me in various Indian states, a “lookout notice” that gives Indian police the power to ‘trace’ accused criminals abroad, as well as an open call to behead me by a Hindu religious leader—all for the “crime” of artistic expression.
Fascism always demands loyalty to a single authority, often to a single race or religion. In my case, fascism came in the form of a statement by the Indian High Commission in Ottawa, demanding that Toronto Metropolitan University and the Aga Khan Museum withdraw my film. Instead of standing by their professed values of free speech and creative expression, these institutions gladly fed me to the wolves. First, they caved to the smear campaign by issuing statements of regret and distancing themselves from my film, a move which was praised by far-right Indian media and fuelled the relentless witch hunting against me. Several organizations such as Humanist’s International, Frontline Defenders, PEN Canada, Artists at Risk Connection, Dalit Solidarity Forum of USA, India Civil Watch International, Poetic Justice Foundation, Hindus for Human Rights, and XFA Equity Committee of TMU came together and mounted a protest screening to remind the University of its commitment to Academic Freedom.
On 20 January 2023, the Supreme Court of India heard my plea challenging the Union Government and granted interim relief protecting me from any coercive action by the Police and recorded that my Kaali film poster was not meant to insult religious feelings. Further on 10 April 2023, the Chief Justice of India extended the protection, transferred all the criminal cases to the Delhi High Court and directed me to approach to have the case quashed. The Delhi Police is yet to file a report under Section 173 of the Code of Criminal Procedure that could allow me to appeal to have the case quashed and I am learning that this delay is a menacing tactic in the cases of political persecution, as the State wants to keep the knife hanging over the heads of citizens who refuse to be silenced.
This may read as a story of trauma, but I see it as a story of a triumph. As an artist, my faith in the power of art is reiterated when a single image rattled the entire population of bigots, caste supremacists, hetero patriarchs, religious fundamentalists et al and rallied secular communities across the world to protest, cultivate solidarity, and push for systemic change.

Art can be many things to many. For me, art is resistance.

I was once threatened that I can never return to India and if I try, I would be killed, raped, beheaded and then some. It took three years. Legal and life battles. I still struggle with PTSD. I am finally here, back home. And I screened my work too. Thanks to Panchajanyam International Film Festival – PIFF @panchajanyamorg.

Panchajanyam has screened almost all my works but #Kaali screening is too special, given the history of censorship and continuing witch-hunting by the fundamentalists. The fear and paranoia created by hindu fascists continue to keep my own communities distant from me. Very few of my allies remain undeterred and continue their solidarity and love for my work and struggles. Panchajanyam made me feel less alone.

KAALI SCREENING

It was profoundly moving and reassuring to see a packed cinema hall for the #Kaali screening. The handshakes, hugs, shoulder pats, nods, teary eyes… every little gesture mattered. Forty five minutes of discussion after a eight minute film was nothing but pure camaraderie. A gentleman amidst audience even offered me a house at Palakkad recalling my mention during my last screening about how hard it is for me to get a rented house in Chennai. I wish I had a longer life to repay all this love.
I could also share my thoughts and experiences on ‘Women and work place’ at the Open Forum with fellow comrade Anandhi. Isn’t every woman a born unpaid labour? Isn’t safe, equitable and free work place, a continuing struggle for women and gender minorities? Is’nt our existence itself a resistance?
Thanks to Prof Kathiravan, I got an opportunity to meet bright young minds of Tamil department at Chitoor Government College. Throughout my lecture, those bright and curious eyes of the students gave me a lot of hope.

Meeting my uyir nanban – Poet – Translator @rashindia, friend, brother and DOP @dhaneshraveendranath and his little angel Dhakshara, thozhan Prabaharan, fellow writers, activists, journalists, young cinephiles kept me smiling and shining more.

Loads of love to @rupeshchittur @niranjan.tg.94 and the entire Panchajanyam team. Special shout out to the young team who turned the festival into a carnival.

Thanks for the photos Jothish Puthans, #Adharsh and for the video #Rajarathinam
Onwards and upwards!