The Kerala High Court on Tuesday refused to stay the screening of the controversial movie The Kerala Story.
A Division Bench of Justices N. Nagaresh and C.P. Muhammad Nias posted the case for May 5. A writ petition sought to stall the screening of the movie till factually incorrect contents were removed from it.
Though the movie was claimed to have been inspired from true events, the statements in its teaser and trailer were far removed from the truth, V.R. Anoop, petitioner, contended. The movie is claimed to be based on events that occurred in Kerala where Hindu and Christian girls were deliberately trapped in ‘love jihad’ and converted into Islam by Islamic groups. The movie stated that these girls were later trafficked for missions to Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. The teaser of the movie incorrectly stated that 32,000 women were converted, radicalised, and deployed in terror missions, according to the petitioner.
False narrative
He contended that several aggrieved persons had approached multiple authorities seeking a ban on the release of the the movie which followed a false narrative, as evident from its teaser and trailer. The movie depicted and promoted hate propaganda against the Muslim community and the State, he argued.
Recently, the petitioner argued, the movie was granted an `A’ certificate by the Central Board for Film Certification after making 10 cuts or changes suggested by an examining committee. However, the 10 cuts or changes were insufficient to resolve the scale of misrepresentation of the State. The screening of the movie has to be stayed and all the incorrect or unverified statements or scenes derogatory to the Muslim community and the State of Kerala should be removed from it in public interest, argued the petitioner.
The court, which also sought the views of the Central government, directed the authorities to produce the certification issued to the movie.
