HC refuses to stay 'Kerala Story', says film is fictional; producer to drop '32000 missing girls' reference

Kochi: The producer of "The Kerala Story" told the Kerala High Court that the teaser of the movie, which claimed that over 32,000 women from Kerala were recruited to ISIS, will be removed from their social media accounts.

The High Court on Friday refused to issue a stay order on the film. The film is fiction, not history, and the court noted that a society as secular as Kerala will accept the film for what it is. According to the court, screening the film won't upset Kerala's prevailing sense of communal unity. 

A division bench comprising justices N Nagaresh and Sophy Thomas heard the pleas seeking a stay on the screening of 'The Kerala Story' in theatres.

The plea to convene a special session on the subject on Thursday was denied by the High Court. Adv V R Anoop, Tammana Sultana, and Sijin Stanley, all of Thrissur, filed the petitions asking for a stay on the release of "The Kerala Story," claiming the movie hurts religious sentiments.

Welfare Party of India state president K V Mohammed Razak and Muslim League state secretariat member C Shyam Sundar also approached the High Court.

The petition challenging the film's release had already been rejected by the Supreme Court. Chief Justice DY Chandrachud ordered that the petition be brought before the High Court.

The Censor Board asked the High Court to dismiss the arguments made to stop "The Kerala Story" from being screened in theatres. The Censor Board argued that the certificate for the movie was given after a thorough examination of its content. Additionally, the film wasn't approved for release until the producers implemented the board's suggestions.

The board claimed that there is no comment in the movie that 32,000 women were forced to convert to Islam and join the Islamic State.

The film directed by Sudipto Sen hit theatres on Friday. The film is being screened in 30 theatres in Kerala. Protests were held by various organisations in front of theatres in Kochi and Kozhikode.