Mumbai: The Kerala Story 2 has faced a new legal challenge with Public Interest Litigation being produced in the Kerala High Court challenging the name of the film and also due to the release.
The petition was submitted on March 3 by a retired social science teacher and a practicing lawyer. In their petition, they have requested the court to advise the makers to change the title and take out the word Kerala as this brings inappropriate and controversial themes that the film depicts against the State.
Petitioners Raise Concerns Over State’s Image
The petitioners feel that the title and subject matter of the petition will see Kerala in a bad light according to the PIL. They allege that the story purports to portray the State as a center of religious forcible converts. They believe that this image may damage the social and cultural reputation of Kerala and may cause misconceptions among the audience.
Claims in the plea also note that the producers are currently involved in another legal fight. It adds that the filmmakers have petitioned a Division Bench challenging an interim stay order previously granted by a Single Bench of the High Court. The previous stay had been applied at a point when, according to the petition, the movie had not been uploaded or publicly shown, yet.
Call for Disclaimer and New Guidelines for The Kerala Story 2
Beyond the issue of the title, the petitioners have expressed concern about possible social consequences. They claim that the story on the film, which is made out of the available material, can induce animosity towards the members of the Muslim community in Kerala. Such depiction according to the plea may disrupt communal harmony and add to the prevailing sensitivities.
The petition is also requesting the court to give a direction in the case of the continuation of the screening of the film, it should have a clear blast to change the story so that it is made known that the story is fictional in its entirety. In the plea, the court is asked to order the mandate to the Central Government and the Central Board of Film Certification to include this disclaimer to ensure that viewers would not confuse the story with what actually happened in real life.
Besides, the PIL demands the expansion of reforms in the norms of film certification. It requests the Centre and the CBFC to formulate elaborate principles of outlining film names and film slogans, so that no film slanders or demeans a State or region or caste or religion by its branding or advertising.
The High Court is likely to discuss the issue in the next few days. As this new petition is proposed, the question of creative freedom, censorship and the duty of filmmakers in treatment of sensitive socio political topics remains a heated debate.
