A short film by Kottayam native Appu Soman titled 'Da'lit Kids', which won multiple awards at various festivals, was denied screening at Animela Animation Film Festival in Mumbai, without any valid explanation.

Appu, a third-year diploma student in animation at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI), Kolkata, found support from his friends after his film was singled out and removed following directions from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. In protest, SRFTI students collectively decided to withdraw all ten of their films from the festival.

The festival, held from February 19 to 22, featured several entries by students of the SRFTI, Kolkata. Animela Festival is run by a 'non-profit organisation called Aniverse and Visual Arts Foundation (AVAF). The festival is designed to showcase the latest advancements and creative works in the field of animation and other visual arts, according to their website.

"We believe it was the title of the film that led to it being barred from screening," Appu told Onmanorama.

Appu said he was initially reluctant to submit the film to the festival because he believed it was a "privileged and casteist space". However, his faculty at SRFTI sent the film, along with 10 other student films.

He said he was shattered when he learned that Da'lit Kids had been removed from the festival lineup. Appu added that during conversations with the festival organisers, he sensed that it was the title of the film that triggered the decision. "They did not give any official reason for taking it down and only said that it was done on the ministry's instructions," he said.

Nina Sabnani, the Director of the Animela Film Festival, said in a statement that every film without a censor certificate was submitted to the ministry to receive an exemption as per procedure. "As part of our process, we sent all the films we received for screening. Unfortunately, one of the films submitted by SRFTI did not receive the exemption. There was no letter instructing us not to screen it, nor was there any letter granting permission to screen it," she said in a video.

Sabnani said SRFTI students withdrawing their films was unfortunate, but maintained that the organisers had no option but to adhere to the rules. She added that in the absence of an exemption, they could not screen the film. She said one of the films sent for clearance received the exemption and was screened.

'Being pushed aside is not new to me'
A member of the Dalit community, Appu said the film reflects his lived experiences. "Marginalisation and being pushed aside are not new to me. I came to the home of Ambedkar with the hope that my film would find a place here," Appu said.

Da'lit Kids narrates the story of Aravind, a student from a marginalised community who gathers the courage to silently protest after a teacher throws his notebook at him in front of the class for a minor mistake. Drawing strength from the spirits of his ancestors, the boy raises his finger in quiet defiance.

"I translated my own memories into this film," Appu said. "Just as the child is thrown out of the classroom, my film was also kicked out," he added.

"Dalits are marginalised even today. At the festival, most participants came from privileged backgrounds and were alien to ground realities. Their films rarely tell the stories of ordinary people and instead reflect an insulated, elite society," he said.

Explaining the choice of the title Da'lit Kids, Appu said the reality of being identified as a Dalit follows him everywhere. "I am constantly reminded of my caste and pushed to the margins. The film is in Malayalam, but I wanted it to have a pan-Indian reach. Dalit issues exist everywhere, not just in one region," he said.

"I wanted to speak about Dalit realities directly, that is why I chose this title. If even that could not be understood and the film was rejected for it, one can imagine the mindset behind the decision," he said.

Appu said the film reflects the everyday realities of Dalits in India and the deep trauma they are forced to live with. "Coming out of that trauma is extremely difficult," he said. "I still haven't been able to recover from what happened," he added.

Despite the setback at Animela, Da'lit Kids found acceptance elsewhere. The film was screened at several festivals, including the International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala and the Dharamshala International Film Festival. It was also adjudged Best Film at the Enliven Film Festival in Brazil. The crew behind the film included Tony Joppan, who handled sound design and mixing, and Jem, who composed the music.

Appu said his protest would continue. "If I don't raise my voice now, then who else will?" he asked, his words reflecting both anger and helplessness.