Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Kerala High Court Narrows CBFC Cuts for ‘Haal,’ Orders Two Edits and Two-Week Re-Review

The judge said the film should be assessed by an ordinary viewer, emphasizing constitutional protection for artistic expression.

Overview

  • The court directed the filmmakers to delete a beef biryani scene and certain dialogues deemed demeaning to a cultural organisation, then resubmit the film to the CBFC.
  • CBFC must issue a fresh certification decision within two weeks of re-submission, replacing its earlier order that required six cuts and an A-only certificate.
  • Justice V. G. Arun viewed the movie and held that depictions such as a Christian girl wearing Muslim attire and a police-station sequence fall within permissible artistic freedom.
  • The court questioned whether community “unease” can justify censorship, stressing that certification must align with constitutional principles of secularism and fraternity.
  • Catholic Congress and an RSS office-bearer had intervened with objections to portrayals and themes, while the film’s September 12 release was postponed pending the dispute.