New Delhi:
The West Bengal government’s ban on the film ‘The Kerala Story’ was suspended on Thursday by the Supreme Court, which also asked the makers to ensure that the film contains a disclaimer stating that it is a fictionalized account of events and that there is no data to support the claim that 32,000 women in Kerala were forced to convert to Islam and join ISIS.
Judges headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said that the state government should maintain law and order as the film has been certified by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
“On the face of it, we believe that West Bengal’s ban is not tenable on the basis of previous material. The ban on the film is thus suspended,” the court ordered.
The disclaimer, to be added at 5 p.m. Saturday, is supposed to say that “there is no verified data to support the suggestion about the conversion rate and that the film represents the fictionalized version,” the court said.
It also asked Tamil Nadu to ensure the safety of moviegoers, noting that while the state had not banned it, theater owners had decided to stop showing the film due to safety concerns.
In a petition challenging the film’s CBFC certification, the court said it would be listed in July, after summer break, as he would have to see the film first.
Noting that “bad movies bomb at the box office”, the court said, “The legal provision cannot be used to increase public intolerance. Otherwise, all movies will end up in this place.”
Senior advocate Harish Salve, who appeared before the film’s producer, said states cannot appeal the award of certification for a film, but agreed to settle the disclaimer that the film is a fictionalized depiction.
The high court heard a plea with the film’s producer challenging the ban on screening in West Bengal and the decision of theater owners in Tamil Nadu not to screen the film in the state, while journalist Qurban Ali denies the Kerala High Court order to release the film. to postpone the film’s release.
Released in cinemas on May 5, Sudipto Sen’s directing sparked controversy by alleging that thousands of women in Kerala were forced to convert to Islam and join ISIS, which critics say is a claim without evidence.
It has also been accused by the opposition of propagating stereotypes and fomenting hatred among the community, but has been supported by several BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The BJP government in Uttar Pradesh has also waived the film ticket tax.