Union minister Smriti Irani speaks at the 48th International Film Festival of India in Panaji (PTI)
Union minister Smriti Irani today said the BJP-led government in the centre is tolerant and it understands that a joke should be taken as a joke. The Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Minister was speaking at the inauguration of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Panaji.
Her remarks came in response to a banter that actor Rajkumar Rao threw at her at the event.
Mr Rao, who was co-hosting the event with actor Radhika Apte, said it was a co-incidence that film director Majid Majidi is an "Irani" just as the Union minister is.
Hearing the remarks, Ms Irani smiled. Later, in her address at the event, she said, "Rajkumar Rao, this (incident) should be known to the rest of the country, that you poked fun only at a minister. And it showed as a government how tolerant we are."
Mr Majidi's film
Beyond the Clouds inaugurated the film festival. Starring Ishaan Khatter and Malavika Mohanan in lead roles, the film is based on life in Mumbai.
Two films --
S Durga and
Nude - were dropped from IFFI, leading to the resignation of jury president Sujoy Ghosh and members Apurva Asrani and Gyan Correa. Director Sanal Kumar Sasidharan has moved the Kerala High Court against the Information and Broadcasting Ministry and the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) over his Malayalam film
S Durga.
"I want the ministry to go by the rule and not overlook the jury's decision. They should behave like a democracy, not a dictatorship," Mr Sasidharan told news agency Press Trust of India, demanding in his petition that the jury's decision be implemented and his film, which has won an international award, be screened at the Goa festival that started today.