Kerala HC Allows Release of 'The Kerala Story 2' in Theatres Day After Order to Halt

New Delhi: Kerala high court on Friday (February 27) allowed the release of The Kerala Story 2 - Goes Beyond, after it was put on hold for two weeks amid a legal battle over the film’s screening in the state, LiveLaw reported.

A division bench of Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice P.V. Balakrishnan stayed the earlier interim order by a single judge against its release, which was challenged by the producer.

The division bench held an urgent hearing of the writ appeals at 7:30 PM on Thursday, just hours after the single judge order. They reserved the order last night.

Soon after the verdict was out today, makers of The Kerala Story 2 announced that the film will "release tonight".

Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas had passed the interim order saying that the content in the teaser itself has the “prima facie potential to distort public perception and disturb communal harmony”.

This was after the court heard petitions filed by Sreedev Namboothiri of Kannur and others challenging the certification granted by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for the release of the film. The petitioners underlined that the movie misrepresented the southern state and its release could incite communal disharmony.

The judge directed the CBFC to consider the revision petitions filed by the petitioners before the board within a period of two weeks and stayed the release of the film until fresh orders.

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