http://movies.ndtv.com/movie_story.aspx?Section=Movies&ID=ENTEN201001409\ 23&subcatg=MOVIESINDIA&keyword=bollywood <http://movies.ndtv.com/movie_story.aspx?Section=Movies&ID=ENTEN20100140\ 923&subcatg=MOVIESINDIA&keyword=bollywood> 100140923 <http://movies.ndtv.com/movie_story.aspx?Section=Movies&ID=ENTEN20100140\ 923&subcatg=MOVIESINDIA&keyword=bollywood&cp> Mani Ratnam not to send Raavan to IIFA Colombo
The controversy surrounding the 11th India International Film Academy (IIFA) awards to be held in Sri Lanka from June 3-5 has taken a new turn with noted filmmaker Mani Ratnam <http://movies.ndtv.com/movie_story.aspx?Section=Movies&ID=ENTEN20100140\ 923&subcatg=MOVIESINDIA&keyword=bollywood#> saying that his forthcoming release Raavan will not be shown at the event. Ratnam claimed he had taken the decision to stay away from IIFA Colombo because Raavan, slated to release on June 18, is still not complete. The film is said to be a loose adaptation of the epic Ramayana and stars Abhishek Bhachan and Aishwarya Rai in leading roles. "We are not going. The film is not ready yet. We are still working on the background score. The film will be ready only in June. We are not going, the film is not going," he said. Ratnam refused to comment on Abhishek and Aishwarya's presence at IIFA, saying they were free to do what they pleased in their individual capacity. IIFA 2010, meant to showcase Sri Lanka's emergence from 30 years of civil strife, is fast turning into a bone of contention with some groups in South India expressing their displeasure with a venue linked to the massacre of Sri Lankan Tamil civilians. The event has already drawn the ire of the Tamil Film fraternity, with popular figures like Rajnikanth, Kamal Hassan, Vijay, Ajith and Surya refusing to be associated in any way with IIFA. Speculations are rife that Ratnam, who was applauded for his sensitive portrayal of the Sri Lankan ethnic conflict in Kannathil Muthamittal, did not wish to antogonise the Tamil community by being seen in Colombo this year. The director has otherwise had cordial relations with IIFA, even premiering his film Yuva at the Singapore event in 2004. Meanwhile Bollywood superstar and IIFA brand ambassador Amithab bhachan has angry Tamil protestors shouting slogans outside his Mumbai residence. On Tuesday morning a group of over 50 to 60 people gathered outside Bachchan's home. The protestors did not want IIFA awards to be hosted in Sri Lanka where several thousand Tamilians were killed. Bachchan had also met Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapakse when he visited Lanka last month to announce the venue for IIFA. The protestors sat outside the Bachchan residence even as the presence of police personnel has increased. This is the second time that Bachchan is being targeted over the same issue. A group of Tamils had marched from the superstar's Pratiksha bungalow to his Jalsa residence in Mumbai last month urging him to boycott the Colombo awards ceremony. The protest was joined by Canadian Tamils too. "We urge him not to attend the function in Colombo as a symbol of solidarity for the Tamilian cause in Sri Lanka. Tamils have been subject to atrocities and war crimes perpetrated by the Mahinda Rajapaksa government in that country," C. Rajendran, spokesperson for the protesters, had told the media in April. The Canadian Tamil Congress also appealed to Bachchan to stay away from Sri Lanka. "Amitabh is a great hero for us in the Tamil diaspora, but we are very disturbed and profoundly saddened by our hero's proposed visit to a regime which has perpetrated crimes against Tamils. By visiting Sri Lanka, Amitabh will be lending credibility to a regime which has destroyed Tamils ruthlessly and committed horrendous human rights violations." "When Tamils continue to suffer in Sri Lanka and numerous human rights bodies have implicated the regime in crimes against humanity, we plead with a person of Bachchan's stature not to go there to help a government that is desperately seeking recognition from the world community in spite of its crimes," the organisation said. Later in his blog, Bachchan wrote that he would respect everyone's sentiments. "The sentiments of all must be respected and I hope that we can plan and execute that with understanding, peace and grace," the actor posted on his blog referring to the protests by Tamil groups. "A Tamil group picketed my houses, asking me to not conduct IIFA in Sri Lanka. I beckoned personnel from Wiz (Wizcraft) who own and conduct IIFA, to come and meet me to discuss this matter and give it due importance," Bachchan wrote in his response to the protests. "I believe Wizcraft personnel met representatives of this protest presentation along with the police personnel that came over from the Juhu Police station, heard what they had to say, accepted a petition given by them, explained to them their side of the story and told them that the governing body of the event would meet immediately to conference on this matter and reach some kind of final path and solution." Bachchan is due to attend the IIFA awards ceremony in Colombo from June 3-5. IIFA is an organisation dedicated to promoting Indian Cinema <http://movies.ndtv.com/movie_story.aspx?Section=Movies&ID=ENTEN20100140\ 923&subcatg=MOVIESINDIA&keyword=bollywood#> globally, and celebrates the IIFA Weekend and Awards in a different part of the world every year. Starting with the Millennium Dome, London, IIFA has traveled through Sun City, Malaysia, Johannesburg, Singapore, Amsterdam, Dubai, and was last held in Macau in 2009. http://movies.ndtv.com/movie_story.aspx?Section=Movies&ID=ENTEN201001409\ 23&subcatg=MOVIESINDIA&keyword=bollywood <http://movies.ndtv.com/movie_story.aspx?Section=Movies&ID=ENTEN20100140\ 923&subcatg=MOVIESINDIA&keyword=bollywood> 100140923&subcatg=MOVIESINDIA&keyword=bollywood&cp <http://movies.ndtv.com/movie_story.aspx?Section=Movies&ID=ENTEN20100140\ 923&subcatg=MOVIESINDIA&keyword=bollywood&cp>
