KOCHI: Ticket bookings for The Kerala Story 2 – Goes Beyond were continuing on online platforms despite the Kerala High Court’s interim stay on the film’s release, a single bench was informed on Friday, even as the matter remained pending before a division bench.
The submission was made before Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas on behalf of the petitioners, Sreedev Namboodiri and Freddy Francis, on whose pleas the court had on Thursday stayed the film’s release for 15 days.
The petitioners’ counsel submitted that although the producer had moved an appeal before a division bench later that night, no interim order had been passed permitting the film’s release. The division bench, comprising Justices Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and P V Balakrishnan, reserved its order after hearing arguments from all sides.
However, on Friday morning, bookings for the film were still open on online ticketing platforms such as BookMyShow, raising apprehensions that screenings might go ahead despite the stay. The petitioners said they would verify whether any shows were screened during the day and, if so, would consider initiating contempt proceedings.
On BookMyShow, the film appeared available in several cities. In Mumbai, shows were open for booking in almost all Maxus Cinemas, with 21 theatres listed as selling tickets. In Delhi, 14 theatres, including M2K, G3S and MSX Cinemas, showed the film as scheduled for release on Friday.
In Chennai, tickets were available at Rohini Theatre and Mayajaal. In Bengaluru, bookings were visible at INOX and Gopalan Cinemas. However, in Kochi, no shows were listed on the platform. The film was not visible on the District app.
While staying the release, Justice Thomas observed that there was prima facie a manifest non-application of mind to the requirements of law by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). He further noted that the possibility of communal disharmony or denigration of a community appeared, prima facie, to be involved in the film, and that releasing it without scrutiny by higher authorities would be legally improper.
The court had also remarked that the content of the film’s teaser had a prima facie potential to distort public perception and disturb communal harmony.
(With inputs from PTI)