Kerala HC refuses to ban Mohanlal starter 'Empuraan'

Kochi: The Kerala High Court declined to issue an interim order to halt the screening of the Mohanlal-starring film 'L2: Empuraan' in theatres on Tuesday. The court has directed both the central and state governments to file statements, if applicable, and issued a notice to them.

Justice CS Dias also stated that notices to other respondents, including actor Mohanlal and the film's director Prithviraj Sukumaran, are dispensed with.

The court issued the order following a petition filed by VV Vijeesh, a District Committee member of the BJP in Thrissur, who requested an immediate halt to the film's screening in theatres.

Vijeesh argued that this was necessary to prevent further controversy and potential communal unrest. He also sought a directive for the state police chief to investigate whether anyone had conspired to incite communal riots through the film, TNIE reported.

During the hearing, the court questioned the petitioner, asking if he had watched the movie Empuraan and pointed out that the film had been certified by the censor board.

The court noted that the statute required films to be certified before their release and emphasized that since the movie had been properly certified and released, the petitioner’s objections at this stage seemed unnecessary.

The court asked the petitioner to provide any FIR filed by the police regarding violence incited by the movie. Justice CS Dias remarked that the petitioner appeared to be escalating the situation unnecessarily and was giving undue publicity to the matter.

He expressed doubts about the petitioner’s intentions, suggesting that the case was more about publicity than genuine concern.

The state attorney, Advocate N. Manojkumar, referenced the Sebin Thomas Vs. Union of India case to argue that once a film is certified by statutory authorities, it is presumed to be suitable for release. He also noted that, as of the hearing, no crimes had been reported by the state police.

Based on these points, the court declined the petitioner’s request for interim relief, stating the matter would be considered after the holidays.

The petitioner had claimed that certain parts of the film in question made unnecessary references to the 2002 Godhra communal riots.

The petitioner further claimed that a particular scene in the film includes unwarranted remarks about the Ministry of Defence and depicts central investigation agencies in a way that undermines their credibility and integrity.

Despite submitting a representation to the central government urging swift action against the film, the petitioner noted that no response had been received. Since the movie’s release, several rumours and controversies have surfaced, and the petitioner argued that its continued screening could potentially incite communal violence and disrupt public order.

Additionally, the petitioner accused the film's director, Prithviraj Sukumaran, of consistently targeting the NDA government with the apparent aim of damaging its reputation through his films.

The petitioner also stated that the film's producers, Antony Perumbavoor and Gokulam Gopalan, were under investigation by the Enforcement Directorate for receiving unauthorized foreign funding. The film, according to the petitioner, portrays the ED in a manner that harms its credibility and integrity.