Kolkata: Film-maker threatened for work on transgender judge

KOLKATA: A film-maker in south Kolkata was allegedly threatened and harassed by two unidentified men on Sunday evening for making a documentary on India’s first transgender judge and themed around sharp criticism for an apparent drive by Hindu extremist groups to rechristen Islampur, the North Dinajpur sub-division where the judge lives, as ‘Iswarpur’. The film-maker, Saumya Sengupta, had released a teaser of the documentary — ‘I am Joyita’ — with gender activist, Joyita Mondal as the protagonist on Facebook on November 9, the day the Supreme Court gave the Ayodhya verdict.Sengupta said he did not receive any threat call or hate comments on Facebook over the past one week till things took an ugly turn on Sunday.
While returning his Garia home after meeting some friends at Jadavpur University, Sengupta, 29, was allegedly stopped by two men on a bike near Jadavpur station around 11pm.
“I did not know the men. It seemed that they even did not know me well and were sent by someone. They confirmed my name and asked me if I had made any documentary on a transgender. When I replied yes, they began threatening me and asked me not to release the movie or promote it over any social media,” Sengupta told TOI. The men allegedly continued a verbal assault on Sengupta and blamed him for insulting Ram and Hindu religion through his film that they called “an attempt to promote Islam and Muslims.” Sensing trouble, Sengupta tried to take out his mobile to click the photos of the men. One of them allegedly hit him who fell down on the road. Then, the duo moved towards Jadavpur 8B bus stand.
“We recieved a complaint and are looking into the matter,” said a police officer.