HC clears 'Kerala Story', says 'nothing offensive' in trailer

KOCHI: The Kerala HC on Friday refused to stay the release of the controversial multi-lingual film 'The Kerala Story' and said the trailer does not contain anything offensive to any particular community as a whole.

A bench of Justices N Nagaresh and Sophy Thomas noted the submission made by producers that they don't intend to retain an "offending teaser" which contained a statement that "32,000 women" from Kerala were converted and had joined a terrorist outfit.

The court said the Central Board of Film Certification has examined the movie and found that it is suitable for public exhibition.

It also noted that producers have published a disclaimer along with the movie which specifically says the film has fictionalised and is a dramatised version of events and that the film doesn't claim accuracy or factuality of historic events.

"In view of the disclaimer also, we are not inclined to pass an interim order restraining the respondents from exhibiting the film as such" it said. The HC was hearing a batch of petitions which sought to set aside the certificate for public display given to the movie by the Censor board among other pleas including to ban it.

Meanwhile, CBFC, which filed a counter affidavit on Friday, said the film was certified after examining it in the prescribed manner. agencies