The Kerala Story 2 cleared for release after High Court bench lifts stay

The Kerala High Court has lifted the interim stay on The Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond, just hours after a single-judge bench had halted its release and questioned the CBFC's U/A certification.

The Kerala High Court on Friday lifted the interim stay on the release of the film The Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond. The film was originally scheduled for release today – February 27 – in theatres.

A Division Bench comprising Justices SA Dharmadhikari and PV Balakrishnan set aside the earlier order passed by the single-judge bench of Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas, which had temporarily halted the film's release, acting upon a petition filed against the film's censor certificate.

Justice Thomas on Thursday had imposed a 15-day stay and directed the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to examine representations filed against the movie. The court earlier pulled by the censor board for issuing a U/A rating to the film, telling them that they didn't "abide by the guidelines."

However, the producers swiftly moved an appeal against the order on the same day. Responding to the urgency of the matter, the Division Bench convened a special sitting at 7.30 pm the same evening to hear the challenge. The hearing lasted over two hours, following which the Bench reserved its verdict.

The court delivered its decision at 4 pm on Friday, vacating the interim stay and clearing the way for the film’s release. The producers are yet to officially announce the new release date of the film.

During the hearing on Wednesday, the court observed that the petitioners' concerns were "probably genuine." The matter was taken up after a biologist, Sreedev Namboodiri, raised serious objections, alleging that the film's trailer portrayed Kerala in an extremely negative light and could have wider social consequences.