'Mission: Impossible' movie: I&B asks MEA to raise 'objection' on J-K references

Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible - Fallout

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has asked the Ministry of External Affairs to raise "objections" against "improper depiction" of Jammu and Kashmir in the Tom Cruise-starrer "Mission: Impossible - Fallout", officials said. In a letter to the MEA, the I&B ministry said while it has been ensured that the Indian version of the film does not "violate the sovereignty and integrity of the country, it is apprehended that there is a possibility that the misrepresentation of an integral part of India might still be exhibited in the global version of the film".

Indian version of the Christopher McQuarrie-directed Hollywood movie, which was released in India on July 27, had four cuts/modifications made by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), including removal of the term 'India-controlled Kashmir'. Further, the CBFC had also directed the film maker to remove the maps misrepresenting the boundaries of the J-K from the film.

The I&B ministry has asked the MEA to raise "objections against the improper depiction of the J-K", officials said. While the I&B Ministry letter did not specifically mention with whom it wants the MEA to raise the 'objections', the External Affairs Ministry generally takes up matters with the concerned countries. In this case, the film has been produced in the US, while the parent firm of one of the producers is based in the Netherlands.

Censor board chief Prasoon Joshi had said last week that "Kashmir" references from the move were asked to be "rectified or removed" as the integrity of India's borders is "non-negotiable". After the screening of the movie before its examining committee (EC), the CBFC had written to the I&B ministry that the EC noticed that the state had been "improperly depicted" in the dialogue and maps shown in the film.

The CBFC also urged the I&B ministry to take up the matter with "appropriate authorities" regarding the global version of the movie, prompting the ministry to write to the MEA seeking action over the issue, officials said. Responding to the I&B ministry's letter of July 26, the MEA sought details of the company which produced the film and the country in which it is registered, the officials said, adding that the details have been submitted today.

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