Ban on 'Dam 999' unfortunate, says director

Slamming the Tamil Nadu government's decision to ban his film Dam 999, director Sohan Roy today said it was "totally unfortunate" as such action would "kill creative minds."

Roy said he was planning to approach the Supreme Court against the ban as the film had already been passed by the censor board.

"This should not happen to any movie or creative work in India. Such actions will kill creative minds," Roy, who is now in Dubai in connection with the film's release in UAE, told PTI over phone.

The Tamil Nadu government banned the film with immediate effect today after the movie faced protests from various political parties which claim it is based on the Mullaperiyar dam, over which the state is locked in an escalating row with Kerala.

Tamil Nadu had no right to ban the film, the director said, alleging that ruling AIADMK, DMK and BJP, were trying to put pressure on the centre to ban the film nationally.

"It is unfortunate that the film has been banned in a state like Tamil Nadu, where most of its politicians have film background. They should understand the hardships in the making of a film," he said.

The debutant director said Dam 999 is a film with a "social cause", which describes the hazards dams can cause and creates awareness among the masses about the impending dangers of a dam collapse if not attended on time.

"Its ban would send wrong signals. There is not a word mentioning the word 'Mullaiperiyar' or the issue in the film," he said.

The film, produced by UAE based BizTV Networks was released in UAE today, he said.

It is scheduled to be released nationwide tomorrow.