KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Monday decided to watch the Malayalam film Haal on October 25 to assess whether the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) was justified in directing the deletion of certain scenes, including those, that according to the Catholic Congress, promote the concept of ‘Love Jihad’ as acceptable and portray the Thamarassery Bishop as supporting such activities.
The court made the decision while hearing a petition filed by the producer Juby Thomas and director Muhammed Rafeeq, also known as Veera, challenging the CBFC’s refusal to grant certification to the film. The film is written by Nishad Koya.
The Catholic Congress, which impleaded in the case, argued that Haal contains objectionable references to the Thamarassery Bishop House and depicts the Bishop without consent from the Diocese. The organisation contended that allowing the film to be released in its current form would hurt Christian sentiments and disturb communal harmony.
Justice VG Arun said the film will be screened on October 25 at 7 pm for the court and the parties involved, including representatives of the Catholic Congress and their counsel. The petitioners have been asked to intimate the venue for the screening.
The CBFC had earlier suggested the deletion of a scene depicting the serving of beef biryani, among other portions it found objectionable.
The court posted the case to October 30 for further proceedings. The film stars Shaine Nigam, Sakshi Vaidya and Johny Antony.