Kerala High Court to watch ‘HAL’ Before Ruling on Catholic Congress Appeal

Kochi: The Kerala High Court Division Bench will watch the film 'HAL', starring Shane Nigam, on Wednesday. The Bench comprising Justices Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and P.V. Balakrishnan decided to watch the film ahead of further hearings on the appeal filed by the Catholic Congress against its release.

The court issued a stern warning that if it is convinced the film contains no material that is offensive or capable of hurting religious sentiments, a fine will be imposed on the petitioners. The court also directed the Catholic Congress to file a written submission specifying exactly which scenes they object to, along with precise timestamps.

The Catholic Congress has argued that certain scenes in the movie hurt religious sentiments and promote love jihad. However, a single bench had earlier dismissed these claims and directed the Censor Board to reconsider the film’s certification application.

The High Court had previously quashed the Censor Board’s decision to grant the film an ‘A’ certificate. The court observed that the Censor Board cannot exercise such powers arbitrarily. The film’s theme—that love can transcend religious restrictions—aligns with constitutional values and does not misrepresent or distort mutual religious beliefs, the court had noted.