IIT Delhi on Boil Over Film Screening Based on Kashmir

Centre of Social Science and Humanities at the IIT, Delhi for the last six months watch films on weekends at 5 pm and hold discussions with the director. But recently the screening proceedings got disrupted and viewers were asked to explain whether the screening was in any sense ‘anti-national’. The film that got screened was named Khooj Diy Baarav (On a Trail of Vanished Blood) directed by Iffat Fatima, shot in Kashmir.

According to students who have seen the screening of the film, “There was a heated exchange between those who watched and those protested the screening.” The film society in the institute was formed to encourage student’s engagement in meaningful cinema. The centre head, Ravinder Kaur said, “We should have the freedom to discuss a whole range of opinions, and centre such as IITs, should retain the right to discuss sensitive issues that cinema often raises in its audience.” She further said that she is hopeful that the centre will continue to show meaningful cinema to its students for their overall holistic philosophical and social development.

According to the department sources, the students who disrupted the screening session were not against those who were watching the film but against the director. Though, the behavior of the disruptive students was unacceptable by the institute standards. The film society is screening meaningful and contemporary films to its students for the last six months and conducts lengthy discussions with the director of the films often. Institute director Mr. Thyagarajan will discuss the matter with the centre on Wednesday.