New Delhi: The Tamil Nadu Police has informed the Supreme Court that the makers of the movie "The Kerala Story" intentionally misled the public by claiming that the state government had imposed a "shadow or implicit ban" on the movie's screening. They also emphasised that the movie was released in 19 multiplexes despite objections and protests from Muslim organisations, which were later dropped due to poor response.
The Additional Director General of Police (Law & Order), in a counter affidavit, said: "It is submitted that motivated by malafide intentions and in an attempt to seek publicity, the petitioners have made sweeping allegations against the Respondent No. 4 despite the fact that the State of Tamil Nadu is discharging its positive obligation to create and maintain conditions in which the film can be screened. The exhibitors have themselves stopped the screening of the movie due to the poor audience response and the government cannot do anything to increase audience patronage for the said film, except provide security to the cinema theatres."
The state police - maintaining that there is no explicit or implicit, on the film - contended that the multiplex owners themselves have cited the poor box office collection owing to the absence of any popular stars in the film as the reason to stop the screening of the film. It stressed that the state exercises no control and the decision was made by the theatre owners on their own and the state had no role to play over the same.
The police said, "In an effort to protect the right to freedom of speech and expression of the petitioners, the state has taken adequate measures to safeguard multiplex owners from any potential threats and repercussions of screening the film..."
The police stressed that the state facilitated the theatre owners to screen the film throughout the state on May 5, despite backlash from certain Muslim organisations.
On the apex court's notice on the filmmaker's plea against 'shadow ban', the police said the petitioners have not produced a single document or order or proof to show that Tamil Nadu took steps to ban the screening of the film and the film in Hindi was released in 19 multiplexes across the state on May 5.
The affidavit said the police lodged nine cases against the protesters and over 965 police personnel, including 25 DSPs, were posted for the protection of the 21 movie theatres which had screened the film.
The apex court on May 12 sought a response from the West Bengal and the Tamil Nadu governments why the movie, run across the country smoothly, can't be exhibited in their states. The court issued notice on a plea by the filmmakers Sunshine Pictures Pvt Ltd and producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah.
With inputs from IANS