Kerala High Court stays release of ‘The Kerala Story 2’.. Deep anger over Censor Board’s behavior

 The Kerala High Court has issued an interim order stopping the release of the controversial Bollywood film ‘The Kerala Story 2’. The film was supposed to be released on February 27. The bench expressed its deep displeasure over the Censor Board (CBFC)’s decision to stay the release of the film a day before its release. Reacting to this, the court said that the Censor Board did not exercise its discretion properly while granting the certificate to the film The Kerala Story 2 and did not even follow the minimum guidelines to be followed in terms of religious content and content that could disturb social harmony. The petitioners expressed concern that the film would not only defame the state of Kerala but also create a rift between religions through false propaganda. The court also objected to the use of the name of Kerala to show a story that has nothing to do with the state.

Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas made key remarks on the occasion, saying that the state of Kerala is a symbol of religious harmony, but this film is sending a wrong signal that something bad is happening in the state. In this context, the court has ordered the censor board to thoroughly examine the film’s certification once again. The court has ordered the censor board to consider the objections raised by the petitioners within two weeks and take a decision. On the other hand, it is learnt that the film’s producers are preparing to approach the division bench challenging the stay order given by the single bench of the High Court.