A major controversy has hit the 12th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) in Thiruvananthapuram as the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) withheld screening permission of several films, leading to its cancellation.
Shashi Tharoor criticizes I&B Ministry for stopping approval of 19 films at IFFK
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has sharply criticized the decision, calling it “extremely unfortunate” and highlighting that 19 scheduled films were not given approval. On December 16, 2025, he noted on social media that the original list was long, but some approvals were received after the intervention of I&B Minister Ashwini Vaishnav, requested by festival president Riyas LP, while others are awaiting MEA approval.
Tharoor described the bureaucratic stance as a “gross lack of cinematic understanding”, questioning classics such as battleship potemkinThe film, based on the Russian Revolution of 1928, was watched by millions of people across the world, including India. “The list of 19 films suggests an extraordinary degree of cinematic illiteracy on the part of the bureaucracy. Its refusal to approve a film like a classic battleship potemkinThe film based on the 1928 Russian Revolution, which has been watched by millions of people around the world (and in India) over the last century, is ridiculous. “The refusal to allow some Palestinian films reflects bureaucratic over-vigilance, not the cultural vision that should be included in the case of world cinema,” he wrote.
He urged ministers Ashwini Vaishnav and S Jaishankar to expedite the approval, warning of damage to India’s cultural image, especially in cinema-loving Kerala.
Films lacking Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) clearance require special Information and Broadcasting Ministry exemption for festival screening, and its absence has put the IFFK program on hold.
Veteran filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan condemned the ban on historical sites like Battleship Potemkin, The Hour of the Furnaces and the Spanish film Beef, calling it a “blatant misunderstanding of cinema that evaluates based on title or politics, undermining artistic freedom.” Amidst the inconvenience of the delegates, the organizers are negotiating the proposals before the festival ends on December 19.
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