Christians protest against screening of Sacred Evil in India

Joining the slew of "anti–Christian" movies that has been released in India, is the Sacred Evil that began screening nationwide today.

After The Da Vinci Code and Tickle My Funny Bone, now Sacred Evil has drawn protests from the Christian community who point out that the film's poster that highlights the Crucifixion of Christ with the film's title written below, gives the impression that Jesus on the Cross is a "sacred evil."

The poster also depicts a nun supposed to be possessed by an "evil spirit." The Catholic Secular Forum (CSF) has written to the Central Board of Film Certification (Censor Board) demanding that Christian groups and a representative of the clergy be shown the movie.

The producers of the film, Sahara One Motion Pictures say the film is based on two true life stories.

A petition has been filed in Mumbai urging the Bombay High Court to stop the release of the movie all over the country.

The petitioner has urged the court to either quash the exhibition certificate issued by the Censor Board to the film as its posters were blasphemous or direct the filmmaker to delete the objectionable portions of the film.

The petitioner alleged that the publicity material of the film gave a distorted picture about the Christian faith. Holding the holy Cross in the manner as depicted in the posters and advertisements of the film exhibited utter disrespect and contempt to the religion, according to the petitioner.

In another advertisement of the film, the petition said, a nun is shown wearing a costume which was worn several years ago. It shows another woman with spherical object in her hand, apparently a bowl depicting light from which sorrow flows out. This appears to be a deplorable and repulsive, sacrilegious interpretation of Christianity, the petition said.

The petitioner contended that granting certificate to the film was unethical and indecent on the part of the Censor Board and constituted total non–application of mind while granting the exhibition certificate. It was also violative of fundamental principles enshrined in the Constitution, the petition added.

In a press release in Mumbai recently, CSF general secretary, Joseph Dias, said another visual shows the nun in her habit (dress) who reportedly has the spirit in her. The words in the advertisement state "where there is light, there is shadow."

The movie deals with a nun in a Kolkata convent, who is troubled by an evil spirit, her mother superior engages the services of a witch to exorcise the evil spirit, Dias said, adding that "it is obvious that Christian religious places as churches, chapels or convents and objects like rosary, crucifix would be used, if promos were anything to go by."

The matter is being taken up with Sahara One Motion Pictures to withdraw the advertisement, tender an apology and arrange for a screening of the movie for the CSF and Christian clergy before its theatrical release, he said and added that the advertisements do not carry the certification of the film (a/u) which is mandatory.

'Sacred Evil' is a supernatural thriller based on a true story from the case files of a real–life Wiccan, Ipsita Roy Chakraverti, who wrote the namesake book. It is a story of three women – a nun, a Wiccan and a girl in search of her mother – who are separated by a 20–year–old secret.

The film that has been ready for about a year, has been produced by Percept Picture Company and is a Sahara One Motion Pictures creation. Debutants Abhigyan Jha and Abhiyan Rajhans are the co–directors of the film while Sarika's co–stars are Lynsey Pow and Frederic Andrau.

And, with the worldwide release of Omen, a remake of the 1976 horror classic slated for June 6, 2006, one can only expect that such protests will keep growing.