In welcome news for The Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond team, the Kerala High Court division bench on Friday lifted the stay on the release of the film. As per Live Law, the bench of Justices SA Dharmadhikari and PV Balakrishnan stayed the interim order passed by Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas, which stayed the release for 15 days.
What did the court say in its order
A detailed order is awaited. The court passed the order in the writ appeals preferred by producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah against the common order of the Single Judge staying the release of the movie for 15 days. The Single Judge had also directed consideration of the petitioner’s revision before the Chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) within 2 weeks.
What did court say earlier
The Division Bench held an urgent hearing of the writ appeals at 7:30 pm on Thursday night, just hours after the Single Judge had passed the interim order. Senior Advocates Elvin Peter and Neeraj Kishan Kaul appeared on behalf of the producer of the film. Advocates Maitreyi Hegde and Sreerag Shylan raised arguments on behalf of the petitioners, who had challenged the censor certification of the film.
After a detailed hearing, the Bench had reserved its verdict. Senior Advocate Kaul had argued that it was the prerogative of the storyteller to tell the story he wanted and to address the social evil in a movie. He contended that courts have, in the past, refused to interfere when other religions’ social evils were portrayed in movies, and the same view should be taken in this case as well.
What Vipul Amrutlal Shah told court earlier
Vipul, in his appeal, had claimed that the film does not harm or denigrate the state of Kerala or any religious community, as reported by the news agency PTI. “The film only portrays a social evil,” his lawyers had told the court. He had also contended that if the film’s release was put on hold, it would “financially finish” the producers as the movie is set to be screened in 1,500 theatres in India and over 300 abroad on February 27.
About The Kerala Story 2
The film, directed by Kamakhya Narayan Singh, was scheduled for release on February 27. The Kerala Story 2 is written by Amarnath Jha and Vipul Amrutlal Shah. The Kerala Story 2 stars Ulka Gupta, Aditi Bhatia, and Aishwarya Ojha.
The trailer of the upcoming film has sparked polarising reactions. The makers of The Kerala Story 2 released the trailer of the sequel recently, which showcased how Hindu women were trapped by the Islamic men in the name of love. Their parallel lives show how romance and rebellion transform into control and silence, turning love into a weapon that destroys freedom.
