The information and broadcasting ministry is seriously pursuing the controversy that has broken out on the legendary Oscar-winning filmmaker (late) Satyajit Ray’s documentary.

The ministry suffered a setback when the district court of Gangtok (Sikkim) on Thursday re-imposed a ban on Ray’s documentary titled Sikkim.

The documentary (made by Ray in 1971) was commissioned by the last Chogyal (king) of Sikkim, Palden Thondup Namgyal, and his America-born queen Hope Cooke.

It was banned by the Indian government in 1975 and never saw the light of the day since. The Indian government finally allowed the ban to be lifted recently and it was supposed to be screened at the Kolkata Film Festival.

Sources confirmed that within minutes of the first public screening of the Satyajit Ray documentary, its remaining shows were suspended following the direction by a Sikkim court.

“We have received orders from the district judge court of Gangtok via email and we have been directed not to screen Sikkim. We have received an ad interim injunction order from the court in the evening today (Thursday),” confirmed Nilanjan Chatterjee, director, Kolkata Film Festival.

The government, sources say, will take it up at two levels — diplomatic and legal. “The government is going to take it up at various levels and ensure that the public gets to see the work of the master. We are seriously following up the matter,” adds the source.