If it's an Anurag Kashyap film, you can easily expect a roadblock to follow!
His latest project with actress wife Kalki may have garnered strong reactions from film festivals across the globe, but looks like That Girl In Yellow Boots will not be stepping foot in Dubai or any other Middle-Eastern nation anytime soon.
The film, which was denied permission to be screened at the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) last year, has still not managed to get the go-ahead to release within the Middle East due to its adult content.
Conservative
Confirms Anurag, "When TGIYB was doing the round of festivals last year, we were not allowed to screen it for the festival panel at DIFF because of the subject matter.
I guess some countries are pretty conservative when it comes to art and cinema."
The film revolves around a young girl Ruth who comes to the city in search of her father, but is soon faced with moralistic questions when she takes up a job as a masseuse to make ends meet.
The content of the film has been debated upon at length, and the makers themselves have not denied that the film is their boldest attempt to date. But this is the first time there has been an actual ban on the screening the film.
"TGIYB is for a mature audience. I don't know who in the middle-east decides whether the viewers are mature enough to watch the film or not, but I guess it's a moralistic stand, " adds Anurag.Interestingly, the film was given an A certificate and passed by the Censor Board in India without much hassle.
The producers, therefore, are not losing hope in this case either. Says Anurag, "We have sent it for screening to a distributor in Dubai. Hopefully, things will work out."
The film releases worldwide this Friday.
Across the festive globe...
That Girl In Yellow Boots opened at the Venice film festival in 2010
It was screened at the Toronto film festival in 2010
It premiered in USA last week
