The Kerala High Court on Friday paved the way for the release of ‘The Kerala Story 2’ by lifting the interim ban imposed earlier. The bench, comprising Justices SA Dharmadhikari and PV Balakrishnan, stayed the interim order passed by single judge Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas, which had stayed the release of the film for 15 days.The matter goes back to February 26, when the Supreme Court asked the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to re-watch and evaluate the certification given to ‘The Kerala Story 2’, following allegations that certain parts of the film were promoting hatred. At that point, the court also imposed a 15-day temporary moratorium on the film’s release.While hearing the petitions alleging that certain scenes could incite hatred and disturb communal harmony, the court examined the earlier decision taken by the CBFC to allow the screening of the film.
Given the seriousness of the accusations, the authority directed the certification body to conduct a detailed review of the disputed clips from the film.The CBFC has also been instructed to submit a report clarifying whether the disputed statements amount to an insult directed at any particular community.In his appeal, Vipul Amrutlal Shah asserted that the film neither insults nor disrespects Kerala or any religious group.
His lawyer confirmed his intention, telling the court: “The film only depicts social evil.”Shah also argued that halting the release at this stage would cause irreparable financial harm to the producers. According to him, such a move would “financially ruin them”, especially since the film is scheduled to release in nearly 1,500 theaters in India and over 300 theaters abroad on February 27.‘The Kerala Story 2’ is a sequel to the National Award-winning film The Kerala Story, and follows the experiences of three young women who, according to the film’s narration, are lured into deceptive marriages and subjected to alleged forced religious conversions.Since the trailer for the sequel was revealed, the film has sparked intense debate and polarized reactions. Many social media users have criticized it as “propaganda”, while the filmmakers continue to maintain that the story is rooted in researched real-life incidents.Previous reports had indicated that the film’s teaser had been removed after court intervention. But these allegations were later denied by the makers of the film. With this new order issued by the court, the film is now scheduled to be released in theatres.
