‘Beef’ banned just because of its title’: Shashi Tharoor slams censor delay at Kerala Film Festival

‘Beef’ banned just because of its title’: Shashi Tharoor slams censor delay at Kerala Film Festival

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has sharply criticised the Centre’s decision to delay censor exemptions for several films scheduled to be screened at the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), calling the move ‘unfortunate’ and reflective of a narrow, bureaucratic mindset that undermines India’s cultural image globally.

Speaking on Wednesday, the Thiruvananthapuram MP said cinema festivals like IFFK represent a mature and discerning film culture, and that denying or delaying permissions over technicalities sends the wrong message

“I really think this is an unfortunate development. Kerala has a very knowledgeable cinematic culture. Clearance has never been an issue before. No film should be denied permission,” Tharoor said.

He pointed out that some of the films awaiting clearance have already been screened in India earlier, making the current objections appear arbitrary.

“Some of these films have actually been screened in India before. So it is petty of us to bring in these kinds of considerations,” he said, adding that earlier instances of restrictions were “laughable”.

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Recalling one such example, Tharoor said, “There was a film that’s 100 years old that is available on YouTube. How can you suddenly say, ‘Don’t show it in the film festival’?” His remarks referred to Sergei Eisenstein’s Battleship Potemkin, a century-old classic that is among the films awaiting censor exemption.

Shashi Tharoor reserved particularly strong words for the reported denial of clearance to a film titled Beef, saying the decision appeared to be based purely on the title rather than the content. “You have a film called Beef. It is not about cow slaughter. It is actually about a rap artist. They banned it because they saw the title,” he said.

Calling for greater sensitivity and cultural understanding among officials, Tharoor added, “Our bureaucrats have to develop a more refined sensibility because it is India’s image that is at stake.” He stressed that global audiences judge a country not just by its economic or political power, but by how confidently it handles artistic expression. “The world will appreciate our culture if we behave accordingly,” he said.

Emphasising that rules should not be applied without context, Tharoor remarked, “Our bureaucrats have to really grow up and appreciate that this country is much larger than the rulebook that they are following.”

The controversy surrounds the 30th edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala, where organisers were awaiting official censor exemptions to screen around 19 films. These reportedly include films linked to the Palestine conflict, Battleship Potemkin, and Beef, whose subject has no connection to its title.

According to organisers, requests for exemptions were submitted to the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting well in advance, and discussions are ongoing at the highest level to secure approvals. The IFFK 2025 was inaugurated on December 12 by Kerala Culture Minister Saji Cherian and will continue until December 19, with participation from filmmakers and delegates from across the world.