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B-grade horror film raises Catholic's hackles

NEW DELHI: A B-grade horror film 'Kaun Hai Waha?' has raised the hackles of the Christian community for its anti-Catholic symbols, with members demanding that the adult certificate given to the film be revoked. The film has been in trouble earlier over its graphic posters that displayed Jesus Christ being stabbed and another that had a cross shown upside down. According to Christian organization Catholic Secular Forum (CSF), which had protested against the anti-Catholic symbols in blockbuster films like Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons, the film is misrepresenting the Catholic faith. "We will approach the I&B ministry for a revocation of the certificate. They should not be allowed to screen this film," Joseph Dias, secretary general of CSF, said, adding that this was a marketing gimmick for the moviemakers but had played havoc on the sentiments of the community. Central Board of Film Certification CEO Pankaja Thakur said, "We received complaints regarding the film's posters and found they had not been cleared by the requisite authority. Subsequently, the producers have given an unconditional apology. We have also reviewed the film to ensure that there is nothing that will hurt sentiments of any faith." The film has been cleared with a `A' certificate. Sources said the film is about a couple haunted by a ghost and their efforts to get rid of it. When contacted, producer Wasim Sheikh feigned ignorance about the controversy. However, Dias remains unconvinced. He said, the CSF had filed three FIRs for exhibition of the posters in an illegal manner and would press for action against the filmmakers. "We have received thousands of e-mails protesting against the film and we plan to continue our protest," he said. Dias said the Censor Board did not have a representative of the minority community, when the film was first screened for a certificate. "There should be strict guidelines so that no person's faith is hurt. We have had internal discussions and would like a blasphemy law to protect against such incidents in the future," Dias added.