Chennai: Tamil documentary filmmaker Leena Manimekalai on Friday put out a fresh tweet on her official Twitter handle saying, “My Kaali is queer. She is a free spirit. She spits at the patriarchy. She dismantles Hindutva. She destroys capitalism, She embraces everyone with all her thousand hands.” Manimekalai has sparked controversy for depicting Goddess Kali smoking a cigarette and holding an LGBTQ flag in the poster of her film Kaali.
Earlier, TMC MP Mahua Maitra who had supported the diverse depiction of Goddess Kaali at a media event kick-started a political slugfest across party lines and drew sharp criticism from the ruling BJP. "Kaali to me is a meat-eating, alcohol-accepting goddess. You have the freedom to imagine your goddess," she had said. TMC has however distanced themselves from her statement, adding that she had made the observation in her personal capacity.