NEW DELHI: Dam999, which is courting controversy due to its theme and timing of release, has now reached the apex court.Sohan Roy, producer and director of the film, on Wednesday, moved the Supreme Court against the ban on release of the film by the Tamil Nadu Government. In his plea, Roy claimed that the film did not refer to the present Mullaiperiyar dispute between Tamil Nadu and Kerala. “The movie talks only about a dam disaster,” the petition said.The Jayalalithaa government in Tamil Nadu has banned the film contending that it refers to the Mullaiperiyar dispute and as such, might create panic among the people of the State.Alleging that the ban curtailed the producer’s fundamental right, the petition stated that the Tamil Nadu government did not give an opportunity to the producer to explain before banning the film.Later, at a press meet, Roy said that Tamil Nadu banned the film even before watching it. “If my film had any inciting stuff in it, the Censor Board would not have cleared it. Banning a film which was cleared by the Censor Board is a gross violation of fundamental right,” he said. Roy insisted that his film was not about Mullaiperiyar per se. “But I don’t deny the fact that a Tamilian and a Malayalee will get the feel that the film is about Mullaiperiyar. Similarly, every person who is likely to affected by a dam breach anywhere in the world will identify with that. That doesn’t mean that Dam999 is about Mullaiperiyar,” he said.Roy said he only wanted to create awareness about the 400-odd outdated dams that exist in the country, through the film.He said that Kerala government had promised tax exemption for the film as it created awareness on dam-related disasters. Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has decided to refer the Mullaiperiyar issue to a full Commission, following a representation from Kerala MPs. Earlier, a single member was hearing the case.A delegation of Kerala MPs told the Commission that the State was willing to construct a new dam for supplying water to Tamil Nadu, which was opposing the move. “We have conveyed to the commission that Tamil Nadu will not lose even a litre of water if a new dam is built,” said M B Rajesh, MP, who was part of the all-party delegation. MPs from Kerala, cutting across party lines, continued their protest over the issue on Parliament premises. Holding placards demanding that a new structure be built to replace the existing one, the MPs said that the lives of 30 lakh people were at stake.
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