Madras High Court dismisses plea seeking ban on release of 'The Kerala Story'
Chennai: The Madras High Court has rejected a petition seeking a ban on the release of the controversial film "The Kerala Story," media reports said
The decision was made one day after the Supreme Court dismissed a series of appeals, including one filed by the Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind, against the movie's release.
The petitioners claim that the film could incite hatred and hostility in society, and the top court directed them to approach the relevant high court.
"The Kerala Story", which is scheduled to be released tomorrow, depicts the alleged radicalisation and conversion of young Hindu and Christian women to Islam in Kerala and their recruitment into the terrorist organisation Islamic State or ISIS.
Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court dismissed a petition challenging the film board certification granted to the movie. The court also declined to instruct the Kerala High Court to prioritize hearing the appeals.
According to NDTV, the court pointed out that the censor board has given certification, a bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said, "You must think of the actors, producer... they have all put in their labour. You must be very careful about staying films. The market will decide if it is not up to the mark."
The release of 'The Kerala Story' has sparked a political controversy. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has accused the film's makers of promoting the agenda of the Sangh Parivar.
He criticized the film for painting Kerala as a hub of religious extremism and spreading hate propaganda against the state.
Congress MP from Kerala’s capital Thiruvananthapuram Shashi Tharoor has slammed the film, stating that it misrepresents the state.
He has also accused the filmmakers of exaggerating and distorting the reality of the state.
The movie, "The Kerala Story", is directed by Sudipto Sen and produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah. It stars Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Siddhi Idnani, and Sonia Balani in the main roles.
The trailer of the film received backlash due to its claim that 32,000 girls from Kerala had disappeared and joined the Islamic State.
The CPI(M) and Congress in Kerala have accused ‘The Kerala Story’ of falsely asserting that the women were radicalized and involved in terrorist activities across India and the world.
The youth wing of the CPM, the Democratic Youth Federation of India, has filed a complaint with the state police chief, demanding legal action against the producer and director of the film.