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The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) on Tuesday, February 10, submitted before the Kerala High Court that the Malayalam movie Kaalam Paranja Kadha will not affect the trial in the Venjaramoodu mass murder case. According to Live Law, the CBFC also clarified that the movie may take inspiration from the incident, but it is not an adaptation.
It was on February 2 that Abdul Raheem, father of Afan, the accused in the Venjaramoodu mass murder case, approached the Kerala High Court seeking a stay on the release of Kaalam Paranja Kadha, allegedly based on the incident. Abdul Raheem‘s concern was that his son’s right to a fair trial would be affected if the movie were released, since the trial is pending.
The Union government counsel told the Court that she attended the film screening and compared the FIRs in the case with the movie. She submitted that the names of the parties, the circumstances, the mode of murder, and other details are different in the film. She further added that she felt the movie conveyed a message against drugs and online gambling.
Meanwhile, the makers of the movie have submitted a counter-affidavit denying the allegation that the film is directly inspired by the case. The trailer Kaalam Paranja Kadha was released on December 30, 2025, and the release was earlier scheduled for February 6.
The film is directed by Prasad Nooranad and has Ajas, Resmi Anil, Master Arjith, and Jayan Cherthala, among others, in lead roles.
The murders called the Venjaramoodu murders took place on February 24 last year. 23-year-old Afan allegedly killed his 13-year-old brother Ahsan, his friend Farsana, his paternal grandmother Salma Beevi, his paternal uncle Latheef, and Latheef’s wife Shahida, and grievously injured his mother, Shemi. When the police reached the house, they found that his mother was alive. After the alleged attack, he consumed poison and surrendered to the police. The murders reportedly took place across three locations in Thiruvananthapuram at Venjaramoodu, SN Puram, and Pangode.