Film on Park Street rape set to release on March 6

Kolkata: In a major respite to its makers, a controversial film based on the Park Street rape case, has been cleared for release on March 6, almost a year after it was blocked by the regional censor board.

Christened "Park Street", with the tag "Don't Cross The Line", the 110-minute Bengali film directed by Partha Mukherjee and produced by Debjani Roy will be released in 12 cinemas, including multiplexes, across the city.

It was "banned" from being screened by the regional office of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) on grounds that Kolkata's Raj-era Park Street was shown in 'poor light' in the context of the rape.

"The regional office of CBFC had banned the movie after we approached them in February last year. In a letter they issued to us, there were seven to eight clauses under which they had objected. One of them was that the film depicted Park Street in a bad way," Roy told IANS on Monday.

Roy then approached the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) under the information and broadcasting ministry, which cleared the film on July 10 last year under the Adult (A) category, after minor changes.

"It was delayed due to some issues with distributors. It is finally releasing on March 6. We will see how audiences react to the film and will the take a decision on launching it nationally. At the moment, we want to focus in the state," Roy said, adding that the team was apprehensive of reactions of the West Bengal government.

It offers glimpses into Park Street's famed night life, the people and also depicts the incident, said Roy.

An Anglo-Indian woman was allegedly sexually assaulted at gunpoint in a moving car in the early hours of February 6, 2012, by a gang of five men.

The incident had sparked severe criticism for the Trinamool Congress government.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had come under attack after her remarks that the incident was "fabricated".

Roy said the rape survivor has been invited for the premiere.