The West Bengal government had passed its order to impose a ban on the screening of ‘The Kerala Story’ to maintain the peace. Therefore, the matter was passed on to the Supreme Court of India. The three judges bench headed by the Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud held that the film had already secured approval from the Central Board of Film Certification.
Additionally, it also says that a disclaimer which is set to be added by 5 pm on the 20th of May conveys that there is no such authentic data that may able to back its claim that 32000 women in Kerala were compelled to join ISIS[1]. The court also observed that the materials are not sufficient to support the prohibition of the West Bengal Government.
In response to the affidavit framed by the Tamil Nadu government, the court had said that proper safety arrangements would be made in the theatres to ensure the safety of the moviegoers. However, the court had also noted that there was no direct or indirect ban imposed by the action of the Tami Nadu government but the cinema owners themselves initiated to ban of the film to safeguard their safety[2].
The court also confirms that it has listed the petition challenging the certification by CBFC in July after the commencement of the summer vacation.
So, the Supreme Court finally stays the order of the West Bengal government which blocked the screening of ‘The Kerala Story’. The court also instructed to create the arrangement for the proper protection of the viewers in the theatres of Tamil Nadu.
Written by- Aniruddh Atul Garg, a student at ILSR, GLA University, Mathura, 2nd Semester, an intern under Legal Vidhiya
[1] NDTV, https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/supreme-court-pauses-west-bengal-government-order-banning-the-kerala-story-4045112/amp/1 (last visited 19th May 2023).
[2] THE INDIA EXPRESS, https://indianexpress.com/article/india/sc-order-west-bengal-ban-the-kerala-story-8616483/lite/ (last visited 19th May 2023).
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