Mumbai Film Festival has decided against screening Pakistani film Jago Hua Savera owing to pressure from a Mumbai-based NGO, Sangharsh. The NGO had approached the police to protest against the screening of the film, saying that the organisers would “flare outrage” among people after the Uri attack.
The NGO President, Prithvi Mhaske, threatened to stage a protest against the festival. In a statement, MAMI organisers said, “Given the current situation, the Jio MAMI 18th Mumbai Film Festival with Star has decided not to programme Jago Hua Savera as part of the Restored Classics Section.”
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Jago Hua Savera (The Day Shall Dawn, 1959) shot in Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) was Pakistan’s official entry to the 1960 Oscars. The movie revolved around the daily struggles of fishermen in a village and their struggles with loan sharks. The movie is based on an original story written by Manik Bandopadhyay.
The movie faced political boycott even during the time of its release, with the government of Pakistan asking the movie’s producer Nauman Taseer not to release it as it was perceived as a communist movie, besides being from Bangladesh, soon after the partition.
The 18th edition of the Mumbai Film Festival will be held between 20 and 27 October and will show 180 movies from 54 countries across theatres in Mumbai.