Controversial Film “The Kerala Story” to be Released Despite Petitioners’ Claims of Hate Speech
The Supreme Court of India has declined to ban the upcoming multi-lingual film “The Kerala Story”, which has been the subject of controversy due to its alleged promotion of hate speech. The petitioner argued that the film contained audio-visual propaganda that could incite violence.
Senior lawyers Kapil Shibal and Nizam Pasha presented their case to Supreme Court judges Justice KM Joseph and Justice BV Nagaratna, informing them that the film was set to be released on May 5th and that over 16 lakh people had already seen the trailer. The petitioner claimed that the film promoted hate speech.
The judges responded by stating that while there are many types of hate speech, the film had already been certified for release by the appropriate board. The judges also advised the petitioner that if they wished to challenge the release of the film, they should first challenge its certification.
The controversy surrounding “The Kerala Story” began when its teaser was released in November 2022. The film claims to reveal the reason behind the disappearance of 32,000 girls from Kerala, alleging that they had joined the terrorist organization Islamic State (IS). This claim has been disputed, with questions raised regarding the source of this information and whether it is based on a true story.
Both the Kerala government and opposition parties have opposed the film, with demands for a ban. The Muslim Youth League of Kerala has offered a reward of one crore rupees to anyone who can prove that ISIS has taken 32,000 young women from the state and armed them.
Despite these objections, the Supreme Court has ruled that the release of “The Kerala Story” cannot be stopped. It remains to be seen how the public will respond to the film when it is released on May 5th.