Supreme Court rejects plea to put stay on The Kerala Story release for the second time

The Supreme Court, for the second time, refused to entertain pleas seeking a stay on the release of the film The Kerala Story on Monday. Directed by Sudipto Sen and produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah, the film has been at the centre of controversy as many claim it will create a social divide. Several groups including the Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind sought a stay on the film's release arguing that it will lead to "hatred" and "enmity between different sections of society."

Starring Adah Sharma in the lead role, the film tells the story of radicalisation and allegedly forced conversion of Hindu women in Kerala and forcing them into the terrorist outfit Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). During today's hearing, the Supreme Court bench led by CJI DY Chandrachud rejected the plea which challenged the certification granted to the movie by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). "Think about the producer, think about the actors," the court said. "You must be very careful about staying films. The market will decide if it is not up to the mark," it added. 

In its previous plea also, the Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind had sought direction from the apex court to the Centre and the CBFC against releasing the film. The CJI had then rejected the plea suggesting the petitioners approach the High Court. "Seasoned judges are manning the high court. They are aware of local circumstances. Why should we become a super (Article) 226 court?" CJI Chandrachud had said. 

The Kerala Story Controversy

The Kerala Story has been criticised by Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan who said it is 'Sangh Parivar propaganda' and that it will malign Kerala's image. "In the trailer of the movie, we see a hoax that 32,000 women in Kerala were converted and became members of the Islamic State. This bogus story is a product of the Sangh Parivar's lie factory," a statement from the CM read.