Kerala Story 2 has been embroiled in a lot of controversies since its teaser release. The film was scheduled to hit the theaters on February 27, but now clouds of crisis are looming over its release. Actually, Kerala High Court has banned the screening of the controversial film Kerala Story 2 till the completion of the hearing. The court said that the concerns of the petitioners regarding the possibility of damage to the secular image of Kerala due to the content of the film cannot be completely dismissed. Kerala High Court has reserved its order on the release of ‘The Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond’ after hearing the detailed arguments of all the parties. A decision on this is expected today, which is just a day before the film’s scheduled release on February 27.
What happened in the hearing held on Wednesday?
A single-judge bench of Justice Bechu Kurien on Wednesday heard the application to stay the release of the film. During the hearing, there was a heated argument between the petitioner, the filmmakers and the central government. The producers requested an urgent ruling, pointing to the February 27 release date and their distribution commitments, including international releases. He said that time is very important and delay of even one day will affect the film. In response, Justice Bechu Kurien warned them not to try to “circumvent the court” by giving a hasty judgment. He made it clear that the court will listen to all the arguments completely and will take necessary time before passing the order.
CBFC raised questions on
The court also raised questions on the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) regarding the classification given to the film. Expressing surprise at the certification decision, the bench said, “You did not even give ‘A’ certificate to the film. You have given U/A.” The court further said that the film makers themselves did not seem excited to screen the film immediately and said that there was not enough time to investigate the matter thoroughly. The lawyer on behalf of CBFC argued that the use of names of Indian states and cities in the title of the film is nothing new. To support this argument, examples like Go Goa Gone, Once Upon a Time in Mumbai and Delhi Belly were cited to answer objections to the film’s title.
What did the film makers’ lawyer say?
Senior lawyer S Sreekumar, on behalf of the film makers, strongly opposed the petition. He argued that the allegation that the film defames Kerala is not legally correct and appealed to the court to dismiss the writ petition, saying it was not maintainable. However, the court strictly replied that it is for the court to decide whether a writ petition is maintainable or not. On behalf of the producers, the lawyer said that the film focuses on the experiences of women survivors and this petition goes beyond the actual content of the film. The lawyer said, “The main question is not about the film, but whether this is a petition filed by an aggrieved party, a public interest petition, or something else.”
He further said that the remedy being sought – a writ to cancel the certification – has no legal basis. The lawyer argued, “Kerala is also a part of India. We cannot separate Kerala from India. What is being sought is not known to the law.”
Decision may come on Thursday
Addressing claims about the state’s reputation, the court was told, “There is no question of ‘dignity of Kerala’, it is the dignity of India.” After hearing preliminary arguments from both sides, the bench recorded the assurance of the film makers’ counsel that they would not release the film until the court’s decision. Due to the arguments being incomplete, the matter was adjourned and will be heard again on Thursday.
