The Kerala High Court on Friday directed the producers of the Malayalam film Haal, starring Shane Nigam, to resubmit the movie to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) after carrying out two specific excisions approved by the court. Once the film is resubmitted, the Board must issue a fresh certificate within two weeks.
Justice V G Arun passed the order while disposing of a petition filed by the producers, who had alleged that the CBFC caused an unreasonable delay in granting certification.
The judge examined the film himself during a special screening held in Kochi last month, after both the Catholic Congress and an RSS leader intervened in the case, alleging that the film contained objectionable material.
In Friday’s order, the court accepted two excisions suggested by the CBFC relating to:
- depiction of court proceedings
- alleged demeaning of cultural organisations and certain dialogues referring to Dhwaj Pranam, Abhyanthara Shatrukal, Ganapati Vattam, and Sangham Kavalund
The court also approved the CBFC’s recommendation to cut a scene involving consumption of beef biryani and to blur a rakhi shown in the film.
The Revising Committee had earlier given the film an ‘A’ certificate, citing its “mature and complex socio-cultural themes” as well as sensitivity around inter-faith relationships.
The Board told the court that its experts believed the film misrepresented inter-faith romance—often referred to as “love jihad”—and portrayed concerns raised by Hindu and Christian leaders in an unfair or intolerant light.
The producers argued that the film was forwarded to the Revising Committee without prior notice and that several of the demanded cuts were arbitrary.
After viewing the movie, Justice Arun rejected the CBFC experts’ concerns, noting that the story revolved around a Muslim boy and a Christian girl whose families initially oppose their relationship. The girl briefly agrees to convert to Islam but later retracts, and the narrative ends with both families and religious leaders accepting the relationship.
“Upon viewing the film from the perspective of an ordinary person, this court found the theme of the film to be in tune with the foundational principles enunciated in our Constitution,” the order states.
The judge questioned how such a storyline could be construed as misrepresentation of inter-faith relationships or a dismissal of legitimate warnings. He found the expert panel’s objections “unsustainable when pitted against the film’s larger theme.”
While acknowledging that the CBFC may balance artistic freedom with constitutional restrictions, the court emphasised that this exercise must remain anchored in the principles of secularism and fraternity, which form “the bedrock of our great democracy.”
