The Kerala High Court has agreed to personally view the Malayalam film Haal — starring Shane Nigam — before deciding the writ appeal filed by Catholic Congress challenging a prior order that quashed the film’s certification cuts. The Catholic Congress had sought to intervene in the case, arguing that the film contained content they claimed misrepresented Christians, including depiction of the Bishop of Thamarassery, and scenes promoting what they described as “Love Jihad.” The Court allowed the Catholic Congress to be impleaded in the appeal and scheduled a date for viewing the film, so that the Bench could make an informed assessment of the contested content.
The controversy originally began when the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) granted the film an A-certificate but asked for several cuts purportedly to address religious and community sensitivities. The filmmakers challenged those cuts, contending that they were unnecessary and infringed on their artistic expression. Meanwhile, the Catholic Congress argued that the film offended Christian religious sentiments by allegedly portraying clergy and a Christian institution in a defamatory or misleading manner, including depicting interfaith relationships in ways they found objectionable.
Recognising the importance and sensitivity of the issues involved — including freedom of expression, religious sentiments, and social harmony — the High Court decided that merely relying on written submissions would be inadequate. The Bench ruled that the only fair way to adjudicate the dispute was to view the film itself. The viewing will take place in a controlled setting, with representatives from the filmmakers, the CBFC, and the Catholic Congress present. The Court indicated that if after viewing the film it finds no genuinely objectionable content, it may impose exemplary costs on those who filed the appeal. Following the screening, the Court will review the arguments and pass its order on the maintainability and merits of the appeal.
0 Comments
Thank you for your response. It will help us to improve in the future.