Film-maker Leena Manimekalai recently launched her film ‘Kaali’ at  Toronto’s Aga Khan Museum as part of Rhythms of Canada. However, now the director has courted controversy after she tweeted a poster of her recent documentary in which the Goddess Kaali is shown smoking.

Check out the poster:

Super thrilled to share the launch of my recent film – today at @AgaKhanMuseum as part of its “Rhythms of Canada”
Link: https://t.co/RAQimMt7Ln

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I made this performance doc as a cohort of https://t.co/D5ywx1Y7Wu@YorkuAMPD @TorontoMet @YorkUFGS

Feeling pumped with my CREW❤️ pic.twitter.com/L8LDDnctC9

— Leena Manimekalai (@LeenaManimekali) July 2, 2022

The Madurai-born, Toronto-based filmmaker posted on Sunday which shows a woman dressed as the Hindu goddess smoking a cigarette. In the background, the rainbow flag, symbolizing the LGBT community can also be seen.

Leena captioned the post: “Super thrilled to share the launch of my recent film – today at @AgaKhanMuseum as part of its “Rhythms of Canada”.

Leena Manimekalai has drawn flak on social media for hurting religious sentiments with the depiction of Goddess Kali as the poster has sparked outrage among the netizens. They are slamming the filmmaker for hurting Hindu sentiments with the depiction of the goddess ‘Kaali’.

In India, Kali is considered a source of power and symbolizes the victory of good over evil and is considered sacred by Hindus after this poster netizens demanded strict action against her, and the hashtag ‘#ArrestLeenaManimekal’ is trending on Twitter.

Check out here:

This is deliberately hurting the sentiments of Hindu devotees. Freedom of speech doesn’t mean— that one can cross the line and show anything in the garb of creativity.

How can this be allowed to even release on digital platforms? Kindly take a note. @ianuragthakur https://t.co/J4H9CS5eiu

— Sadhavi Khosla🇮🇳 (@sadhavi) July 3, 2022

Hurting Religious sentiments of Hindus by depicting Hindu Goddesses objectionably@LeenaManimekali giving u 12 hrs to tender unconditional apology or else legal actions will be initiated against you & your entire team
Your tweet is Archived, so dont try 2 delete https://t.co/g2dkosiBQW

— Kalinga Rights Forum (@KalingaForum) July 3, 2022

May hurt the religious feelings and sentiments of the Christian community. It could also lead to demonstrations and disturb peace and tranquility within the state

– DMK govt statement when banned d movie “Da vinci code”,2006

Hope @mkstalin do the same now for the movie #Kaali pic.twitter.com/zW72OHH39N

— vaishali (@vaisu_tweets) July 4, 2022

After receiving flak on social media, Leena has restricted comments on her Instagram.

She took to Twitter to post in Tamil: “The film revolves around the events that take place one evening when Kali appears and strolls the streets of Toronto. If you see the picture, don’t put the hashtag “arrest Leena Manimekalai” but put the hashtag “love you Leena manimekalai”.