Aquarium’s OTT release stalled after court Stay

The OTT release of Sunny Wayne and Honey Rose’s Aquarium has been stalled following a 10-day court stay, after a petition filed by a nun’s group, Voice of Nuns, with the Delhi High Court.

The movie, which is directed by T Deepesh, was set for its OTT release on Saina Play on May 14. According to the petitioners, the movie is “blasphemous” in nature and shows Christianity in a bad light.

This isn’t the first time that Deepesh film, which was the only Indian movie in the competition category of Kolkata International Film Festival, courted controversy. The movie, which was initially named as Pithaavum Puthranum Parishuddhaathmavum (The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit), had to change its title to Aquarium after being instructed by the Censor Board Tribunal.

Deepesh told OTTplay that they are still in the fight to showcase the film to the public. Aquarium had been denied permission to release since its initial planned release in 2014, following controversies regarding the plot of the movie that the censor board mentioned might hurt religious sentiments.

“Aquarium is completely a feminist film. The film discusses the value given to nuns in the church,” says Deepesh. The movie discusses the life of women inside religious institutions and how their physical and emotional issues are exploited by religions, he says.

The director also adds, “All the characters in the movie are completely fictional and do not represent anyone living or dead. This movie is a fictional creation and I do not know why we are getting the attention that no other movie about religion has ever got.”

Sunny and Shari play the other major roles with Honey Rose, who plays a nun. Aquarium is produced by Shaj Kannambeth and Pradeep M Varma is its cinematographer.