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Kochi, Feb 27(PMI)The Kerala High Court on Friday stayed for two weeks the interim order of a single judge that had halted the release of the film ‘The Kerala Story 2 – Goes Beyond’ for 15 days.
A division bench comprising Justices Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and P. V. Balakrishnan passed the order while hearing an appeal filed by the film’s producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah late Thursday night, just hours after the single judge had stayed the movie’s release.
The bench reserved its verdict after the late-night hearing and subsequently granted a two-week stay on the earlier interim order. The detailed judgment is awaited.
In his appeal, Shah argued that the film does not harm or denigrate the State of Kerala or any religious community. He submitted that the movie merely highlights a social evil and does not promote communal disharmony.
The producer also contended that halting the release would cause severe financial losses, stating that the film was scheduled to be screened in around 1,500 theatres across India and over 300 theatres abroad on February 27.
Earlier, the single judge had stayed the film’s release, observing that there appeared to be a prima facie non-application of mind by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) in granting certification. The court had further noted the possibility of communal disharmony or denigration of a community being involved in the movie.
The judge had also remarked that the teaser of the film had a prima facie potential to distort public perception and disturb communal harmony, and that releasing it without scrutiny by higher authorities would be legally improper.
Further developments are expected once the detailed order is made public.(pressmediaofindia.com)
