Kerala Police Objects To Lucifer Poster, Writes To Chief Minister

The Kerala Police Association has written to the Chief Minister of the state seeking a ban on one of the posters of Prithviraj’s Mohanlal starrer Lucifer. The complaint claimed that the poster was capable of inciting violence against the police officers.

Lucifer has been running to packed houses since its release on March 28. A poster, which was launched in the aftermath of the movie’s release for promotional purposes, shows a police officer cornered against the wall by Mohanlal, with his leg resting on the officer’s chest. This is accompanied by the line “Will you dare to touch my kids?”

Reacting to this, the Kerala Police Association wrote to the Chief Minister and asked for a ban on such depiction. In the letter, the association states that this poster will contribute towards the already rising violence against the police. They said that showing a prominent star manhandling an officer of the law will send out a wrong signal to the society.

Apart from a complete ban on posters depicting such situations, the complainant also sought to have disclaimers, similar to the ones for smoking and drinking, in scenes portraying such instances.

According to Manorama Online, veteran cinematographer, who came up with an opposing view has come under sharp criticism. “This poster is an ideal example for kids on how to handle the police as well as the law. Everybody should take their children to theatres to see this film.” This comment by Babu was met with brickbats in social media.

In a separate incident, certain Christian outfits like the Kerala Christian Democratic Movement had raised an outcry regarding the movie’s title and its connection to Satan, reports Manorama Online. In response, Fr. Nithin Joseph Elanjimattom, a counsellor and media person based in Bangalore has come out with a response through a Facebook in which he has congratulated the makers for the quality of the movie and said that there was nothing offensive in the film.