The Kerala High Court on Tuesday raised serious questions over the certification given to the controversial film by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). The Kerala Story 2 – Goes Beyond. The court said it would watch the film before deciding on three petitions seeking to stay the film’s release and cancel its certification.
Kerala HC questions CBFC on certification of The Kerala Story 2; Court will watch the film before decision
Hearing the case, Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas said the CBFC has an important responsibility, especially when a film portrays a secular state like Kerala through a communal lens, which the petitioners describe as a communal lens.
The judge remarked, “Kerala is very secular. It lives with complete harmony, but have you considered this when something is happening in the entire state? It is a wrong signal and can even inflame passions and that is when the Censor Board (CBFC) comes into the picture.”
The court said that since the film claims to be inspired by true events, the apprehensions raised by the petitioners cannot be dismissed outright. Justice Thomas said, “The film has been presented as being inspired by true events and prima facie there appears to be some justification for the concerns raised by the petitioners.”
He further explained that the inclusion of the name ‘Kerala’ in the title raises public concern. “The apprehensions of the people in Kerala cannot be ignored because you have named Kerala…You say it is inspired by true events and named it Kerala, which may create some communal tension,” he said.
Senior advocate S. appearing for the manufacturers. Sreekumar agreed to remove the existing teaser until the court announced its verdict and offered to arrange a special screening for the judge. Hopefully the court will watch the film before proceeding further.
The sequel is controversial story of keralaIn which women from Kerala are allegedly shown recruiting into ISIS. The petitioners have argued that the sequel’s promotional material – which includes the tagline “Ab Sahenge Nahi… Ladenge” – could incite confrontation and disturb public order.
Several petitions have challenged the CBFC’s certification under Section 5B of the Cinematograph Act, 1952, alleging misrepresentation, regional defamation and possible communal disharmony. Further hearing of the case will take place after the screening is decided.
