Justice VG Arun will determine whether the Central Board of Film Certification’s objections to certain scenes are justified
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM – The Kerala High Court has directed screening of the Shane Nigam film Haal, which has been mired in controversy over certain references and reportedly a scene depicting consumption of beef biryani, for it. Justice VG Arun, along with a team of advocates, will attend the screening of the film scheduled for 7 pm on Saturday (October 25) at Padamugal Colour Planet Studio in Kakkanad.
The judge will determine whether the Central Board of Film Certification’s (CBFC) objections to certain scenes are justified.
The CBFC had directed cuts or modifications to scenes, including a depiction of beef biryani and a dialogue involving a ceremonial salute, prompting the court’s intervention.
The screening will include the petitioners, the filmmakers, and CBFC representatives with their legal counsel. The case will be reviewed again on October 30.
Filmmakers, through their counsel, argued that the contested scenes are essential to the narrative and that the CBFC’s proposed cuts would compromise artistic freedom. The delay in receiving a censor certificate has postponed the film’s release, which was originally scheduled for September 12.
Directed by debutant Veer, Haal also stars Sakshi Vaidya and features an ensemble cast including Johnny Antony, Vineeth Beep Kumar, K Madhupal, Joy Mathew, Nishant Sagar, Niyas Becker, and others. The film is planned for simultaneous release in Malayalam, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, and Kannada, and marks the Malayalam debut of Bollywood singer Ankit Tiwari.
On Tuesday, the high court also allowed the Catholic Congress to intervene, citing concerns that certain plot points may portray the Bishop of Thamarassery endorsing controversial themes, potentially hurting religious sentiments and disturbing social harmony.
