A division bench of the Kerala High Court on Friday lifted the interim stay on the release of ‘The Kerala Story 2 – Goes Beyond’. After this decision of the court, the way for the screening of the film was cleared. The division bench of Justice Sushruta Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice PV Balakrishnan quashed the earlier order of the single bench. In this, the release of the film was banned for 15 days.
After hearing the arguments presented by the film’s producer Vipul Amritlal Shah, who had appealed against the interim order of the single judge. The bench said that the arguments opposing the certification of the film were like a public interest litigation. He questioned how a single judge could hear it.
This order was given after detailed arguments from all the parties that lasted till late Thursday night, which emphasized the urgency and high stakes of the case.
The producers had approached the division bench within hours of the single bench’s interim stay, arguing that the suspension issued a day before the release would cause huge financial losses and hamper distribution plans across the country. This film was to be released on Friday.
The film’s actress Aditi Bhatia has posted and written – The truth should be seen. The Kerala Story 2 is now in theatres.
Controversy regarding Kerala Story 2
The controversy surrounding the film has reignited debate in political and social circles, reminiscent of the heated discussions that took place over the earlier issue. The petitioners opposing the release had sought judicial intervention citing concerns regarding the content. On the other hand, the film-makers said that this work falls within the scope of creative expression protected by law. After the stay is lifted, theater owners and distributors are now expected to conduct the screenings as per plan.
Kerala Story 2 will have an impact on the box office.
Industry experts say that the legal battle may have increased people’s interest, which may affect the box office prospects in the coming days.
