The Supreme Court on Thursday, May 18 directed the Tamil Nadu government to provide additional security to theatres screening the controversial film The Kerala Story. The court also stayed the West Bengal government’s ban on the film. While the Tamil Nadu government did not ban the film, the Tamil Nadu Multiplex Association refused to screen the film citing potential law and order problems and poor audience response. When the makers of the film moved the court alleging a ban on the film in Tamil Nadu as well, the state government told the Supreme Court on Tuesday that theatre owners had voluntarily stopped screening the film from May 7 onwards, due to poor response to the film which didn’t have any well-known actors.
“In Tamil Nadu, additional security can be provided for every cinema hall and requisite arrangements can be made for moviegoers who want to see the film. No steps shall be taken by Tamil Nadu or its officers or instrumentalities including police to prevent the screening of film,” Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said, according to LiveLaw. “We intend to stay the order of the state of West Bengal. With respect to Tamil Nadu, we will direct them to not directly or indirectly ban it,” he said.
The Tamil Nadu government also submitted on Tuesday that it had deployed police officers outside some multiplexes to avoid any hindrance to people who wished to watch the film. The state government also asked the filmmakers to provide a document to show that the government had banned the film while denying that it had imposed a shadow ban.
In West Bengal, the film was banned on May 8, three days after its release. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee said that the movie was banned to "avoid any incident of hatred and violence, and to maintain peace in the state." The state also told the court that The Kerala Story is based on manipulated facts and contains hate speech in several scenes, which might cause disharmony between communities.