Controversy over The Kerala Story is largely political, says Harish Salve

Kerala Story

Controversy surrounding the film Kerala Story is largely due to political divide rather than a fight about the film itself, former solicitor general of India and Kings Counsel Harish Salve told Moneycontrol in an exclusive interview.

Salve opined that the movie itself is being made a scapegoat to confrontations on political and ideological lines.  Persons who have filed litigation against the film have asked the court to direct the filmmakers to play a disclaimer before the film stating that the film is a work of fiction, Salve said that the prayer for disclaimer is a side issue while the main issue is largely political.

He said “it's necessary to know that the censor board looked at it (the film) and certified the film, there is an appellate procedure to challenge the decision of the censor board. Nobody has challenged the decision of the censor board.”

Salve said that their legal contention in the case is that state governments who do not have the locus do not have the power to ban movies, taking it upon themselves to ban movies citing breakdown in law and order.

He said “When Deepa Mehta’s Fire was threatened by Bal Thackeray in Mumbai, we moved a plea in the Supreme Court. And the Supreme Court said how dare you! If there is going to be a breakdown of law and order. It's your job as the government to prevent that breakdown. We can't say there'll be a breakdown, therefore I won’t show it. Now, it's interesting that the same people who also lauded the Supreme Court order are now against the movie citing breakdown.”

Speaking of the claims of those against the film that Indian will burn if the film releases, Salve said “Did India after Fire released? Did India burn after Aarakshan was released? Did India burn after Kashmir files was released? Okay, there's India burning also is a narrative. Don't we know that it burns when a group of people want it to burn?”

The "Kerala Story” is about a group of women from the state who converted to Islam and joined ISIS. According to its makers, it reveals the events behind "approximately 32,000 women" allegedly going missing from Kerala.

Appeals challenging the release of the film are to be heard by the Supreme Court on Friday (May 12). Many petitions challenging the release of the film were filed in the Supreme Court, Kerala High Court and Madras High Court.

The SC had refused to entertain the petitions and asked the petitioners to approach the Kerala High Court. The Kerala High Court refused to stay the release of the film last week, the petitioners have challenged the order of Kerala High Court at the Supreme Court.

In an exclusive interview with Moneycontrol, Salve also speaks of government’s stand in same sex marriage hearings in SC, India’s image among investors abroad and the controversy surrounding the collegium system of appointment of judges.