'No blasphemy allegation heard,’ VT Balram questions 'Turkish Tharkkam' movie withdrawal by makers

Coming out strongly against the dangerous practice of playing the ‘Islamophobia card’ for business gains, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) vice president V T Balram has raised serious concerns over the withdrawal of a Malayalam movie titled Turkish Tharkkam (Turkish Dispute) from theatres by its makers themselves claiming “objections from certain quarters over allegations of blasphemy”. He took to social media to question the “dangerous trend”.

Balram, also a former two-time MLA from Thrithala, wrote on his Facebook page that he was unaware of the release of the film Turkish Tharkkam, and added, “I had not come across any controversies or debates regarding it, nor had I heard of any allegations of ‘blasphemy’ being raised by any prominent individuals or organisations. I hadn’t seen a single post criticising the film on social media platforms like Facebook.” 

“It is reported that the film was temporarily withdrawn from theatres due to allegations of blasphemy and threats against the director or producer. However, it is unclear whether such complaints were formally lodged with the police or if the police conducted any investigation into the matter. Meanwhile, Sangh Parivar-affiliated media have started to celebrate the issue extensively.

“There is a reasonable suspicion that this blasphemy controversy, along with the alleged threats and temporary withdrawal, might have been deliberately orchestrated to salvage a film that was at risk of flopping—or has already flopped—in theatres. If that is indeed the case, it is a serious matter. It would be pure mischief and an extremely dangerous trend,” he he further said.

“Today, Islamophobia has a profitable market both globally and within India. Recently, its commercial value has been growing in Kerala as well. This is a time when political parties that are losing elections attempt to justify their failures by drawing the ordinary people’s votes into the sphere of communalism. It is concerning that filmmakers are beginning to see this as an opportunity for business gains. Such trends are intolerable for this society,” the young leader concluded.

The withdrawal 

The film Turkish Tharkkam has been withdrawn from theatres. According to the filmmakers, the decision was made following objections from certain quarters over allegations of blasphemy
Director Nawaz Suleiman, producer Nadir Khalid and actress Amina Najeem stated that the protests were based on misunderstandings.

To address this, the film will be screened for media professionals to clarify the issues, they also said. Scenes objected to by certain members of a community will be reviewed. Once the concerns are resolved, the film will be re-released in theatres, they added.

The movie, which features Sunny Wayne, Lukman and Harisree Ashokan in lead roles, was initially released on November 22.