Mumbai Play Called off After Objections by Religious Groups

[ranjeet]

MUMBAI, MAHARASHTRA: Even before its first show, a play titled 'Agnes of God' has fallen foul of some religious groups, including the Catholic Bishop's Conference of India, which has written to the Union Home ministry asking for a ban on its performance altogether, claiming it hurts their religious sentiments.

The play is based on a true story adapted from an American play that was also made into an Oscar nominated film where the lead, Sister Agnes, gives birth to a child and claims she is a virgin.


"The most offensive is the title itself which is meant to be the Lamb of God that's Jesus himself and his immaculate conception," said Joseph Dias of the Catholic Secular Forum, who has raised similar objections in the past against others, which include the group of stand-up comedians, AIB roast.

Despite a booking done at Sophia Bhabha Auditorium more than four months ago, the premier show was suddenly cancelled last Monday. The auditorium authorities could not be reached for comment for their sudden change of heart.

The Archbishop of Mumbai has strongly protested against the portrayal of the nun in the posters, but they are not in favour of a ban.

What's perhaps most ironic is that the same 'Agnes of God' was performed at Sophia auditorium and others more than two decades ago and was very successful.

Director of the play, Kaizaad Kotwal told NDTV, "I think we are retrograding, regressing. If this play could be tolerated 25 years ago in India and there are issues now, what are we saying about India today. By doing a work of art you could be thrown in prison is a threat in my view. I'm seriously concerned. This is based on a true story. We haven't concocted anything."

After the sudden loss of venue, the cast and crew have found a new host in National Centre for Performing Arts in South Mumbai, where a special show for invitees has been scheduled for October 5.

Mumbai Play Called off After Objections by Religious Groups

Religious groups demand Ban on a play, I wonder if we would get to see prime time debate on this issue.

@JanjaWeed @magudi @Star Wars @Tridibans @Whazzup

 

[ranjeet]

Director of the play tweets, says he is receiving threats.

https://twitter.com/x/status/649247039272816640

Tags usual secular and liberal crowd.

https://twitter.com/x/status/649253038968799232

Nothing happens.

 

[Carp-e-diem]

Man these bans have really made me angry.
But I am happy they will show at other place. I will book the tickets and will surely watch.

 

[Android]

What else can you expect in Modi's India.

 

[TejasMk3]

Look at how the headline is? "Religious group" Secularized headline, when it come to Religion of Peace or Love.

Another write up:
Agnes of God Incurs The Wrath of the Church | The Wire

The play “Agnes of God”, about an American nun who gives birth to a dead child and claims it is the result of a virgin conception has been made into a film and has played all over the world. It was performed in Mumbai two decades ago. But now it has run afoul of the Church and of self-proclaimed activists and its first performance on Monday is in jeopardy.

The highest Catholic body of the western region – the Archdiocese – has issued a strong statement against the play and the manner in which it was advertised – “The screaming headlines and life-size cut outs of religious sisters seem to portray them as characters lacking in integrity and guilty of cover-up of infanticide. Such a depiction will lower the esteem for nuns in the eyes of children to whom nuns impart knowledge and human values. This is totally unfair to our very many Religious Sisters who are working selflessly with dedication and generosity. We deplore this.” At the same time, it says it does not clamour for in bans of literary works.

The Catholics Bishop’s Conference however has dashed off letters to the Home Minister Rajnath Singh asking for a ban since it offends the religious sentiments of the community. “Why write to the Home Minister about a play-as though there are no other bigger problems in the country,” says Mahabanoo Mody-Kotwal, whose company Poor Box Productions was producing the play.

The Archdiocese’s statement sends out a strong message to the community that the play is objectionable and will have an impact. In the past, movies and plays such as Jesus Christ Superstar, the Last Passion of the Christ and even Da Vinci Code have angered Christians. In the 1970s, Alyque Padamsee showed his controversial musical Jesus Christ Superstar to senior bishops in Bombay and added an extra song after which the play was “approved.”

Earlier this week, on the eve of the opening, Mody-Kotwal was busy working on her play Sister Agnes, she got a call from the manager of the theatre where it was to open. The theatre was cancelling its booking, because the “nuns were unhappy with it.” The theatre is in Sophia College, which is run by the Religious Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. “It sent us into a tizzy, because we had paid an advance and now had to look for an alternative space at short notice,” Mody-Kotwal told the Wire. The same play had been performed at the theatre two decades ago. Kotwal immediately tried to speak to someone in charge and after many tries, got a nun on the line. ”She was very rude and did not tell us anything.”

Joseph Dias, who runs the Catholic Secular Forum , also declared he was going to get the play stopped. He has in the past rushed to express outrage on behalf the city’s Catholics on a wide variety of movies, such as Da Vinci Code and Kya Kool Hain Hum and issues. He objects to the play because, according to him, “The life of a nun is a sacred subject,they live their lives devoted to service and commodifying their lives for ticket sales offends me.” “You have to understand that we must question whether India is ready for this kind of content as morality differs here and in the west,” he told The Wire.

Kotwal’s son Kaizaad, who has directed the play spoke to Dias, who said the play was offensive to Catholics. “He also appeared to be very interested in the economics of putting up a theatre production, including whether it would make a lot of money,” Kotwal said.

With the opening night cancelled and huge financial losses staring them in the face, the Kotwals approached the police and leading members of the Catholic community and tried to get an alternative theatre booking. The play is scheduled to open next Monday at an alternative theatre, but Dias has already indicated that he plans to get a court injunction to stop the play from opening.

Kaizaad Kotwal has asked for police protection for himself and the cast, including his mother. Though the police have promised it will not allow the play to be stopped, Mody-Kotwal is a bit nervous: “the police says if there is a court order we can do nothing.” There is also no saying how the government will react.

Agnes of God is an American play about a nun who gives birth to a dead child and insists it was the result of a virgin conception. There is a clash between the nun, the Mother Superior and a psychiatrist. It was made into a film in 1985 starring Jane Fonda and Anne Bancroft. It has played on stage around the world. “I loved the play and in fact the suggestion that I do it came from a Catholic friend,” says Mody-Kotwal. In Mumbai’s theatre circles, she is known as the person who has been staging the one-woman play “Vagina Monologues” for the past 13 years – “in English and Hindi” – and she says she has never faced any form of protest or objection.

Mody-Kotwal says she is worried about the financial losses she will face since she had planned to perform the play till April and made investments accordingly. “But we have put in our effort and our passion and who will compensate that?”

 

[mooppan]

^^^Seems our internet sanghis are trying hard to hide and deviate attention from the ongoing Dalit and beef killings incidents..

 

[gslv mk3]

The name is offensive

 

[ranjeet]

^^^Seems our internet sanghis are trying hard to hide and deviate attention from the ongoing Dalit and beef killings incidents..

Stop deflecting.

 

[Maarkhoor]

Director of the play tweets, says he is receiving threats.

https://twitter.com/x/status/649247039272816640

Tags usual secular and liberal crowd.

https://twitter.com/x/status/649253038968799232

Nothing happens.

Indian society is becoming less and less tolerable it happens when state supports one group and fanatics from all other groups also grew more power full, If state maintain secular nature it is always better we did the same mistake now we need decades to come back on tracks. India is a big country with many different cultures and religions if the current policies continue the result will be devastating.

 

[Star Wars]

objections by "religious groups"

 

[ranjeet]

Indian society is becoming less and less tolerable it happens when state supports one group and fanatics from all other groups also grew more power full, If state maintain secular nature it is always better we did the same mistake now we need decades to come back on tracks. India is a big country with many different cultures and religions if the current policies continue the result will be devastating.

yes, we need to improve on the way we implemented Secularism in our country. Earlier it meant oppressing Hindus and appeasement of Christians and Muslims but it won't happen no more.

objections by "religious groups"

Did you see his tweets? he was begging for help from Secular Journalists and actors. one gave a fcuk about it.

 

[Maarkhoor]

yes, we need to improve on the way we implemented Secularism in our country. Earlier it meant oppressing Hindus and appeasement of Christians and Muslims but it won't happen no more.

Religious policies should not be on state level, if state supports majority the balance in society terribly shaken. As my personal thinking Hindu population in India already enjoying vast superiority over minorities example is Babri Masjid, Gujarat riots and 1984 riots against Sikhs but under Mr. Modi the already overwhelming Hindu superiority creates much unbalance which creates wide gapes in the society as i already mentioned before Under Zia Govt support Sunni Deobandi now we are facing adverse effects of that.

 

[mooppan]

Stop deflecting.

True,but its natural..
I am doing the very same thing that you guys have did or doing in the numerous dalit and muslim killing threads posted here in this forum..I can understand your frustration...

 

[coffee_cup]

To fanatic Hindus: Yeah make derogatory movies / dramas about Shiva, Ganesh or whatever they are called. It is your religion and whether you mock it or not, is none of our business.

Leave other religions alone, why insulting Christians/Muslims/Sikhs etc?

These fanatical nutters who burn cinemas for their religious "feelings being hurt" now crying about sensor.

Funny these hindus, really!

 

[mooppan]

Director of the play tweets, says he is receiving threats.

https://twitter.com/x/status/649247039272816640

how is that even possible,that too in a hardcore hindutwa BJP ruling state like Maharastra??..It makes sense if it is happening in some Christian majority states like Nagaland/Mizoram or Kerala,where Christians enjoys power in the government...smells more like a propaganda or a publicity stunt..