Kerala High Court Deliberates on Controversial Film Release

The Kerala High Court is evaluating an appeal challenging a single judge's 15-day hold on the release of 'The Kerala Story 2-Goes Beyond.' The producer argues no harm is done to Kerala or any community. Petitioners claim the film could cause reputational harm. A decision is pending.

The release of 'The Kerala Story 2-Goes Beyond' has been temporarily halted following a single judge's order, now being contested in the Kerala High Court. A division bench, led by Justices Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and P V Balakrishnan, evaluated an appeal against this hold during a two-hour hearing.

The film's producer, Vipul Amrutlal Shah, challenged the interim order through senior advocate Neeraj Kishan Kaul, who argued the film doesn't harm the state or religious communities. Kaul highlighted that the Central Board of Film Certification did not find offensive content, positioning the movie as a portrayal of social issues instead.

Petitioners opposing the film believe it negatively depicts Kerala. The single judge had initially paused the release based on concerns about communal disharmony and non-compliance by the censor board. The High Court has reserved its decision without issuing an interim stay, awaiting further deliberations.

(With inputs from agencies.)