Delhi High Court has directed the federal Information and Broadcasting Ministry to expeditiously consider a Catholic nun’s demand to ban a movie accused of portraying priests and nuns as “sex maniacs”.
The direction from the state court of the national capital came on May 17 while it was hearing a petition from Sister Jessy Mani, a member of the indigenous Sacred Heart Congregation.
The nun petitioned the court seeking to ban Aquarium, a movie made in the Malayalam language of southern India’s Kerala state.
The movie was due to be released on May 14 through online platforms. However, Kerala High Court stayed its release on May 12 for two weeks, accepting a petition by two nuns to ban it permanently because of highly offensive content.
Sister Mani expects the Central Board of Film Certification, which functions under the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, “will understand our concerns and take appropriate action.”
The nun’s petition said the movie depicted nuns and priests having same-sex and heterosexual relationships besides having sex with animals. “It painted a very vulgar picture about Catholic priests and nuns,” she told.
Lawyer Jose Abraham, who represented Sister Mani in court, said the nun “can go back to the High Court again in case the federal government fails to address the concerns raised about the movie.”
The Kerala Church has been fighting the movie’s release since 2013, said Father Jacob Palackappilly, deputy secretary general of the regional bishops’ council.
In 2013, the certification board blocked the movie’s release because of its vulgar and blasphemous content, he said.