- Vikram Bhatt in custody on charges of fraud of ₹30 crore
- IFFK 2025: Kerala government defies Centre, shows ‘Battleship Potemkin’ and 18 films without CBFC approval
- Delhi pollution: Environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa apologises, blames previous AAP government
- Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa apologizes for pollution crisis, blames AAP for ‘illness’
IFFK 2025: Center blocks 19 films including ‘Battleship Potemkin’; Kasturi Shankar blames bureaucracy
In this special report, the panel discusses the controversy surrounding the 30th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), where the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting refused to allow screening of 19 films. The list includes the 1925 Soviet classic ‘Battleship Potemkin’ and Palestinian films like ‘Palestine 36’ (mistakenly pronounced as Felicity 36 in the transcript) and ‘Once Upon a Time in Gaza’. Movie trade analyst Girish Wankhede criticized the move, saying, ‘The Centre’s decision shows that they have not done their homework, their cinema literacy is questionable.’ Actor and activist Kasthuri Shankar argues that this is a case of ‘misinformed bureaucracy’, but also suggests that the Kerala government is using the issue for political gain. Independent journalist Jisha Surya provides context on the unprecedented ban.
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Vikram Bhatt in custody on charges of fraud of ₹30 crore
Rajasthan and Mumbai Police have arrested film producer Vikram Bhatt and his wife Shwetambari Bhatt for alleged fraud with Indira IVF founder Ajay Murdia.
IFFK 2025: Kerala government defies Centre, shows ‘Battleship Potemkin’ and 18 films without CBFC approval
In this report from the 30th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), India Today’s Shibi Mol details the state government’s decision to defy the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). The Pinarayi Vijayan administration has decided to screen 19 films which the Center had refused to clear, including Sergei Eisenstein’s classic ‘Battleship Potemkin’ and several Palestinian narratives like ‘Once Upon a Time in Gaza’ and ‘Wajib’. Shibi Mol says the state government has ‘challenged the Centre’ by saying that they will continue screening regardless of the permission. The move marks another escalation in the standoff between the Kerala government and the Union ministry over artistic freedom and censorship.
Delhi pollution: Environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa apologises, blames previous AAP government
This Bureau report focuses on the serious air pollution crisis prevailing in the national capital. Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa issued a public apology, saying the government was ‘working hard to fix this issue’. The report highlights the implementation of strict anti-pollution measures, including a 50 percent work-from-home order and a ban on construction. While the minister blamed the ‘previous Aam Aadmi Party government’ for the mess, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra dismissed the apology as ‘too little, too late’.
Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa apologizes for pollution crisis, blames AAP for ‘illness’
In this special report, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa addresses the serious pollution crisis plaguing the national capital. Facing questions over whether the government’s actions were ‘too little, too late’, Sirsa apologized to Delhiites but stressed that fixing air quality is a long-term process. He says, ‘We do not want such inconvenience for the people of Delhi… but we can take long-term measures.’ The minister accused the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) administration of leaving behind a ‘pollution disease’ and highlighted corrective steps, including reclaiming 45 acres of landfill sites and implementing a strict ban on non-PUC vehicles. Sirsa also defended the decision on green crackers and discussed the political blame game and said the BJP government is working tirelessly to correct years of neglect.
