The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court has ordered the producers of the adult horror-comedy film Irandam Kuthu to remove the teaser of the movie from the Internet. The directive was issued on the public interest litigation (PIL) filed by a resident from Madurai. The bench comprising Justices N Kirubakaran and B Pugalendhi heard the case on November 12 and posted the matter for further hearing on December 3. Meanwhile, the film is expected to hit the screens for Deepavali on November 14.
In her petition, Lakshmi from Madurai had stated that the film’s promotional videos have highly objectionable content and are available for viewing on the Internet. She stated that the content could prove to be a threat to the safety of children, especially now since they are increasingly exposed to online learning methods. The film’s promotional material will have to be banned under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the petitioner stated. In addition to removing its promotional content, the film will also have to be stopped from releasing, she had requested.
When the case came up for hearing, the court was informed that the Censor Board had ordered 32 cuts in the film and given it an ‘A’ certificate. The Justices reportedly observed that the film’s promotional videos, which are easily available for viewing on the internet, “could increase crimes against women and children”, and ordered for its removal.
The court also sent notices to Tamil Nadu’s Home Secretary, Information Technology department secretary, Censor Board officer, Director General of Police and the film’s director, Santhosh P Jayakumar, to file their responses.
A sequel to the 2018 adult horror comedy Iruttu Arayil Murattu Kuthu, Irandam Kuthu has caused controversy as soon as the teaser released in early October. Director Bharathraja had written an open letter condemning its promotional material, following which the director first countered and later apologised. Apart from directing, Santhosh will also be acting in the film, which stars VJ Sha Ra, Motta Rajendran, Daniel Pope, Akriti Singh and Meenal.