Basil Joseph-starrer Maranamass banned in Saudi Arabia for casting LGBTQIA+ actor
The Malayalam dark comedy Maranamass, starring Basil Joseph and directed by Sivaprasad, has been banned in Saudi Arabia and is likely to be censored in Kuwait due to the inclusion of a transgender actor. The ban was announced ahead of its release on April 10.
Sivaprasad explained that the casting was based on talent, not gender identity, with an aim to normalize LGBTQIA+ representation in cinema. The film, produced by Tovino Thomas and others, is part of the Vishu festival releases and also stars Rajesh Madhavan, Suresh Krishna, Siju Sunny, and Anishma Anilkumar.
The story centers on a serial killer stalking a city. This is not the first instance of LGBTQIA+ content being banned in the Gulf, as seen earlier with Vineeth Sreenivasan’s film Oru Jaathi Jaathakam.
