Kerala High Court Allows Release of 'Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond', Stays Single Bench Order

Thiruvananthapuram: The Division Bench of the Kerala High Court has stayed the order of the Single Bench that had temporarily halted the release of the film Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond. With this decision, the screening of the film has been allowed to proceed.

The film was scheduled for theatrical release on Friday. However, on Thursday, the Single Bench headed by Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas stayed its screening for 15 days. The stay order came while considering a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the film’s release.

Following the Single Bench’s decision, the producers approached the Division Bench, which convened a special sitting on Thursday night to hear the matter. During the hearing, the Division Bench reportedly questioned how the Single Bench had entertained the PIL. The court’s discussion primarily focused on procedural aspects, and there was no detailed observation at that stage regarding the film’s content.

In the earlier order, the Single Bench had observed that the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) appeared to have overlooked central government guidelines stipulating that films should not contain scenes that incite hatred or disturb social harmony.

The petition challenging the certification granted to the film was filed by Sridev Namboothiri, Atul Roy, Freddy V Francis and others. The petitioners contended that the film portrays Kerala and the Muslim community in a negative light and could potentially affect communal harmony.