- Kerala High Court stayed the release of The Kerala Story 2 a day before its debut
- Producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah plans to appeal the stay order in the Supreme Court: Sources
- Kerala High Court criticised the Censor Board for not properly reviewing the film
After the Kerala High Court on Thursday stayed the release of The Kerala Story 2 a day before its theatrical debut, sources told NDTV that the film's producer, Vipul Amrutlal Shah, had filed an appeal in the Supreme Court challenging the court's order.
The Kerala High Court special bench heard The Kerala Story 2 matter at 7.30 pm.
In their submission before the special bench, the filmmakers argued that the single judge had failed to appreciate that the petition itself was non-maintainable in law.
They contended that seeking a pre-release restraining order on a film that has already been certified by the competent authority amounts to an extreme form of censorship, one that goes beyond judicial review.
According to them, such interference not only undermines the statutory powers of the certification board but also directly infringes upon the filmmakers' fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression guaranteed under Article 19 of the Constitution.
Earlier in the day, the Kerala High Court criticised the Censor Board, saying it "didn't apply mind" while clearing the censor certificate of the film and ordered a two-week interim stay on the release of the movie. The court also said that The Kerala Story 2 should not be released until arguments concluded.
It further said that the teaser and trailer of the film have the "full potential to cause communal disharmony".
The Kerala Story 2 is directed by Kamakhya Narayan Singh and produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah of Sunshine Pictures. The makers have maintained that the film is based on "true incidents" and denied any attempt on their part to target Kerala.
On Tuesday, the court heard the petition filed against The Kerala Story 2. The same directed the makers to arrange the screening of The Kerala Story 2, they said they were not ready to do so and instead wanted to argue further.
The Kerala Story 2 is the sequel of The Kerala Story, which won two National Film Awards last year for Best Director for Sudipto Sen and Best Cinematography for Prasantanu Mohapatra.
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