The Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond decline to screen film before Kerala High Court despite court’s request amid communal concerns
The Kerala Story 2: The producers of The Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond on Tuesday refused to screen the controversial film before the Kerala High Court, reversing the stand they had taken earlier in the day. The development came during the hearing of multiple petitions challenging the censor certificate granted to the film and seeking a stay on its release.
Earlier in the day, Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas had indicated that the Court would like to watch the film before arriving at any decision, especially in light of the producers’ claims that the objectionable material shown in the teaser and trailer was not in the final version of the film. The judge had indicated that the screening would be held on Wednesday, February 25, before any decision on the pleas.
The teaser and trailer of the film have received widespread criticism, especially for their depiction of the Muslim community. The petitioners had argued that the teaser and trailer of the film depicted Muslims as planning to turn India into an Islamic state by tricking Hindu women into loving them in the name of love, as part of the so-called “love jihad” conspiracy theory.
Pointing out that the movie is claimed to be based on “true events,” Justice Thomas observed that prima facie, the concerns raised by the petitioners appeared to be justified. He said that when a movie claims to be based on true events, it assumes a greater responsibility, especially when the subject matter has the potential to disturb the public order or present a distorted view of a community.
During the pre-lunch hearing, the producers had agreed to withdraw the teaser and trailer from public domains. They also sought time to take instructions on arranging a screening of the movie for the Court. This showed that they were willing to cooperate with the judicial process and allow the judges to form their independent opinion about the movie.
However, the stand shifted after lunch when the hearing resumed. Senior advocate S Sreekumar, appearing for the producers, submitted that the Court must first decide whether the petitions filed against the movie were in the nature of public interest litigation (PIL) or private litigation. This effectively showed that the producers were not keen to screen the movie at this juncture.
In response to the filing, Justice Thomas orally noted that the producers were no longer interested in the Court viewing the movie. As reported by Bar and Bench, the judge stated, “You are not keen that the Court should watch the movie. You want the issue to be decided on whether this petition is a private litigation or a public litigation.”
The above statement by the Court highlighted the change in the producers’ stand and raised concerns about their earlier commitment. The statement by the judge also revealed apprehensions about the producers trying to escape judicial review of the movie content and limiting the case to its procedural aspects.
The controversial movie is set to be released on February 27. Its predecessor, The Kerala Story, had also created a nationwide controversy and legal disputes regarding communal stereotyping and misrepresentation. With The Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond, similar concerns have already arisen even before the release of the movie, putting it under intense legal and public scrutiny.
In response to the filing, Justice Thomas orally stated that the filmmakers had lost interest in the Court viewing the movie. As reported by Bar and Bench, the judge stated, “You are not keen that the Court should watch the movie. You want the issue to be decided on whether this petition is a private litigation or a public litigation.”
The High Court will now have to determine the next step in the proceedings, including whether the petitions are valid PILs and whether interim relief, such as a stay on release, is required. This case has once again brought into focus the fine line between artistic expression and social responsibility in Indian cinema, especially when films purport to show real-life events with broad social ramifications.
Read more…India Launching Free HPV Vaccine for Adolescent Girls
