Satyajit Ray's poetic documentary was commissioned by the Chogyal (King) of Sikkim at a time when he felt the sovereignty of Sikkim was below risk from each China and India. Ray's documentary is in regards to the sovereignty of Sikkim. The movie was banned by the federal government of India when Sikkim merged with India in 1975. The ban was lastly lifted by the Ministry of Exterior Affairs in September 2010.
