The Gujarati film Kasoombo was released on 16 February and has caught attention for its historical content. The movie’s director, Vijaygiri Bava, has alleged that the censor board forced him to remove Hindu shlokas from the film before allowing it to pass the censor board certification.

What did the Kasoombo director say?

Vijaygiri says with Kasoombo set to release on 16 February, they struggled with censor board approvals until 15 February. They were unsure if the film would have been released on the set date. He further highlighted that the censor board asked them to remove the Gita Shlokas and Mahishasura Mardini stotram from the movie. They said these couldn’t be run in the theatre while permitting the scene showing Khilji reciting the Kalma.

Vijaygiri says they are open to criticism, but that should come after the film is released. Censoring a movie for its pro-Sanatan content is illogical. “They sacrificed 51 lives for Sanatan. I expect people will pass on the message of this movie,” said Vijaygiri. He appealed to people to pass on the message to at least 11 persons each so that they would watch Kasoombo.

Kasoombo is a historical movie set against the backdrop of Allauddin Khilji’s menacing intent to pillage the sacred temples and cultural heritage of Shetrunjay. The story shows how Dadu Barot stands resolute, leading a meagre band against an overwhelming opposition. It is the saga of Sanatan and the sacrifices made to save Dharma from Islamic invaders.

It is a true story of the sacrifices made by 51 villagers to protect the Shetrunjay temple complex from the marauding Islamic tyrant Alauddin Khilji’s attack. It is a tribute to the sacrifices made by our ancestors to protect Sanatan Dharma. It also depicts how they overcame the atrocities of Khilji to ensure the survival and continuation of Hindu Dharma.

The anti-Hindu nature of the censor board is evident in the fact that it had no issues with Khilji reading the Kalma but found Hindu shlokas offensive.

Censor Board allows anti-Hindu film Annapoorani

While a movie like Kasoombo, based on Sanatan Hindu Dharma, faces the censor board roadblock, blatantly anti-Hindu movies like Annapoorani are given a free pass by the censor board. Annapoorani was a love jihad propaganda film where the lead actress is a Hindu falling in love with a Muslim. The film even featured a scene where the aspiring chef wears a hijab and offers namaz before cooking biryani during a cooking contest.

OTT content is also overwhelmingly Hinduphobic, but the censor board finds shlokas offensive. The government must look into the activities of the censor board and ensure that such anti-Hindu acts don’t go unpunished.