- The Kerala Story 2 release allowed after interim order
- Bench questions stay over CBFC certification process
Hyderabad: The Kerala Story 2 received interim relief after a court bench paved the way for its release late Thursday night. The order came just hours after the movie’s release was stayed, bringing swift developments in the legal battle over its certification.
A bench of justices Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and P V Balakrishnan passed the interim order on the appeal moved by the film’s producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah. The appeal was filed after a single judge had stayed the release of the film. However, the division bench reviewed the matter and issued its order later that night.
In its order, the bench addressed the concerns raised about the certification process. It noted that the single judge’s finding that guidelines for certification have not been borne in mind by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) were “merely on the basis of a few clippings and without viewing the movie” and therefore, it “cannot be countenanced”. The observation directly questioned the basis on which the earlier stay was granted.
Meanwhile, the bench also referred to the changes made to the film before certification. “That apart, the fact that insertions, excisions and modifications, have been carried out by the appellant (Shah) in the movie as per the directions of the CBFC would only further reinforce the fact that there is an application of mind from the part of Board while granting the certificate,” the bench said. Therefore, the court indicated that due process had been followed in granting certification.
The interim order now clears the path for The Kerala Story 2 to move forward with its release. However, the matter remains part of ongoing legal proceedings. The court’s observations focused on the certification process and the grounds on which the earlier stay had been issued. As a result, the latest development shifts attention back to the film’s release and the legal scrutiny surrounding it.
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