Kochi, March 5: The Kerala High Court on Thursday strongly objected to remarks made by petitioners against a Division Bench that had earlier lifted the stay on the release of the film Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar VM took serious exception to certain averments in a fresh Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the movie’s screening. The court noted that the petition contained submissions questioning how another Division Bench of Justices S. A. Dharmadhikari and P. V. Balakrishnan had lifted the stay on the film’s release.
“This is inconsequential for deciding the matter. You are casting an aspersion against another coordinate bench. How can you make a statement like this?” the Chief Justice observed during the hearing.
The PIL was filed by K.C. Chandramohanan, a retired teacher and social activist, along with advocate Mehnaz P. Mohammed. The petition alleged that the film defamed Kerala by portraying the State as a hub of terrorism and radicalisation without credible data. It also claimed the movie depicted over 150 Muslim characters through an Islamophobic lens and failed to present a balanced portrayal.
The petitioners further argued that using the title Kerala Story for what they described as a fictional narrative infringed upon the collective dignity of the State’s citizens under Article 21 of the Constitution.
Earlier, a single-judge Bench had stayed the film’s release on February 26. However, following an urgent appeal by the filmmakers, a Division Bench lifted the stay on February 27, permitting its theatrical release. The final verdict on the appeal remains pending.
After the court’s strong observations, the petitioners tendered an unconditional apology and agreed to delete the contentious remarks. The Bench allowed them to withdraw the plea and file a revised petition.
