In a big relief to the makers of 'The Kerala Story' movie, the Supreme Court on Thursday put a stay on the May 8 order of the West Bengal government banning the screening of the film. The top court said, "Law can't be used to put a premium on public intolerance, otherwise all films will find themselves in this spot." The top court took note of submissions that there was no ban on the film in Tamil Nadu and asked the state government to ensure the safety and security of moviegoers
Earlier, the apex court had issued a notice to the West Bengal government regarding the request made by the producers of the film 'The Kerala Story', who are disputing the decision made by the state government to prohibit the screening of the film in the state. The Supreme Court has also served a notice to Tamil Nadu regarding the informal prohibition of the film within the state. The SC heard a plea by the producers of the controversial multilingual film 'The Kerala Story' against the West Bengal government's ban on screening of the film after the makers said they are "losing money every day".
The top court was hearing a plea challenging the West Bengal government's order to ban the screening of 'The Kerala Story' which hit theatres on May 5.
The pleas, including the one which sought that a disclaimer should be added to the title of the film that it is a work of fiction, had been mentioned for urgent listing before a bench comprising Chief Justice Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha.
Earlier, the top court sought replies from the West Bengal and Tamil Nadu governments on a separate plea of the producers of "The Kerala Story" that the movie is not being shown in theatres in these two states.
While West Bengal has banned the movie after three days of its screening in theatres, Tamil Nadu has not banned the film but the exhibitors have withdrawn from cinema halls owing to security concerns.
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