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The Kerala High Court on Friday, November 14, asked the makers of the Malayalam film Haal, to re-approach the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) after deleting a scene showing beef biriyani being eaten, among others. The CBFC had mandated six cuts and restricted the film to an Adults-only (A) certificate.
Justice VG Arun, who viewed the film before issuing the order, held that the CBFC's insistence on six cuts and the grant of an A certificate could not be permitted "by overlooking the foundational principles of secularism and fraternity which are the bedrock of our great democracy."
However, the Court ordered the makers to make two deletions: a scene showing beef biriyani being eaten and dialogues deemed "demeaning" to a cultural organisation, along with the blurring ‘rakhi’ in all scenes where it is visible. The Court also ordered the deletion of certain scenes showing court proceedings, Live Law reported.
The Court has asked the makers to approach the CBFC afresh after making these changes. The CBFC is directed to decide the fate of the film within two weeks.
Haal, starring Shane Nigam, tells an interfaith love story between a Muslim boy and a Christian girl. The producers had challenged the CBFC’s mandate, which said the film would be certified 'A', and prescribed alterations, including the removal of a song sequence featuring the heroine in Muslim attire.
Senior counsel for the petitioners argued that the Board had ignored the overall narrative, stressing that the film contained neither explicit content nor violence warranting an A certificate.
The CBFC, represented by the Additional Solicitor General (ASG), defended its stance, arguing that the film had "crossed the Lakshman Rekha" by entering sensitive religious terrain and contained scenes capable of creating "unease" among communities.The Board, the ASG said, was obligated to safeguard public order and religious sentiment.
Justice Arun, however, questioned whether "unease alone" could be a valid ground for censorship.The film also faced objections from two external groups.
The Catholic Congress, Thamarassery Diocese, alleged that the film portrayed the Bishop as endorsing an interfaith relationship without consent and accused it of promoting "love jihad".
Another petitioner, an RSS functionary, claimed the film made defamatory references to the organisation, portraying it as "thuggish, aggressive and riotous".
With inputs from IANS