'Kaali' poster row: Canada museum issues apology after Indian High Commission protests

Toronto: The Toronto-based Aga Khan Museum, which landed in trouble for the inappropriate depiction of Hindu Gods, has expressed deep regret for "inadvertently causing offence" to members of the Hindu and other faiths.

In a statement, the museum said, “Toronto Metropolitan University brought together works from students of diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds, as part of Canadian multiculturalism for the project `Under the Tent.` The museum said one of 18 short videos from `Under the Tent` and its accompanying social media post inadvertently caused offence to members of the Hindu community.”

"Toronto Metropolitan University`s project presentation was hosted at the Aga Khan Museum in the context of the Museum`s mission to foster intercultural understanding and dialogue through the arts. Respect for diverse religious expressions and faith communities forms an integral part of that mission," the statement added.

"The Museum deeply regrets that one of the 18 short videos from `Under the Tent` and its accompanying social media post have inadvertently caused offence to members of the Hindu and other faith communities," it added.

Indian High Commission on Monday urged Canadian authorities to withdraw the disrespectful depiction of Hindu Gods showcased as part of the `Under the Tent` project at the Aga Khan Museum, Toronto.

"We urge the Canadian authorities and the event organizers to withdraw all such provocative material," the Indian High Commission in Canada said in a statement. A poster for a documentary directed by filmmaker Leena Manimekalai has drawn flak on social media for hurting religious sentiments with the depiction of Goddess Kaali.

The Madurai-born, Toronto-based filmmaker had earlier taken to Twitter to share a poster of her film which depicted a woman dressed in a costume portraying the Goddess and smoking. A flag of the LGBT community is seen in the background.

Super thrilled to share the launch of my recent film - today at @AgaKhanMuseum as part of its “Rhythms of Canada”
Link: https://t.co/RAQimMt7Ln

I made this performance doc as a cohort of https://t.co/D5ywx1Y7Wu@YorkuAMPD @TorontoMet @YorkUFGS

Feeling pumped with my CREW pic.twitter.com/L8LDDnctC9 — Leena Manimekalai (@LeenaManimekali) July 2, 2022

"Our Consulate General in Toronto has conveyed these concerns to the organizers of the event. We are also informed that several Hindu groups have approached authorities in Canada to take action," the release added.

Meanwhile, Filmmaker Leena Manimekalai has landed in legal trouble after a police complaint was filed against her for hurting religious sentiments through a poster of her documentary `Kaali`.

The portrayal of Goddess Kali in the poster did not go down well with a section of social media users who have demanded the poster be withdrawn. Some even demanded strict action against her and the hashtag `#ArrestLeenaManimekal` has been trending on Twitter.

Several police complaints have been filed against the filmmaker for allegedly hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus.