Amid the nationwide debate on moral policing on art, a group of students in a church-run college in Kerala have landed in trouble for making a short film on homosexuality.
Four students, including the producer and director of the five-minute film as well those who acted in it, were suspended by the authorities of St Joseph's College of Communication at Changanassery in Kottayam district recently.
While the students facing the action hold that this as an infringement on freedom of artistic expression, the college authorities said that the action was taken as the issue involved gross breach of discipline as the campus film was shot on the campus without prior permission.
"We have nothing more to say now as the matter is before the Mahatma Gandhi University to which the college is affiliated," Fr Sebastian Punnassery, director of the college, said.
According to Jeo Baby, final year student of MA, Cinema and Television, his film 'Secret minds' had only reflected the reality that homosexuality was present in the society.
He said: "The film is a serious movie on gay subject with only music and no dialogue. The college authorities came to know about it when the film was submitted for a campus film festival conducted by a leading film society."
Jeo said it was not his first film as he had made works on begging and it had won campus film prizes. In the memo issued to the students, the college authorities had held that the film had obscene scenes capabale of misleading young minds, he said.
M G Univesitry sources said the appeal of the students seeking revocation of their suspension would be considered by vice chancellor later this month.