The Kerala High Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition seeking to restrain the release of the feature film ‘Kaalam Paranja Kadha’, which is allegedly based on the 2025 Venjaramoodu mass murder incident. Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas rejected the plea filed by the father of the prime accused, who had argued that the movie’s release would prejudice the ongoing criminal trial and tarnish the family’s reputation.
The legal challenge was initiated by Abdal Rahim, the father of A.R. Afan. Afan was arrested in connection with the brutal killings of his brother, uncle, aunt, and girlfriend in Venjaramoodu, Thiruvananthapuram, on February 24, 2025. The prosecution also alleges that Afan attempted to murder his mother during the same incident, though she survived with injuries.
In his petition, Rahim contended that the film, directed by Prasad Nooranad, would trigger a “media trial” that could potentially influence witnesses and compromise his son’s right to a fair trial. The petitioner further argued that the cinematic portrayal of the incident would cause irreparable damage to the dignity and reputation of the surviving family members.
The petitioner sought a court order to halt the distribution and screening of the film, claiming it directly referenced the sensitive details of the pending criminal case.
Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas, while dismissing the plea, did not find sufficient grounds to stall the creative work’s release at this stage. While the detailed written order is currently awaited, the court’s verbal pronouncement clarifies that the trial process will not be halted by the film’s exhibition.
The dismissal follows a string of similar Indian judicial precedents where courts have generally been hesitant to stay the release of films based on true-crime events, often citing the freedom of expression and the fact that judicial officers are trained to remain uninfluenced by popular media portrayals.
