Kerala High Court to Hear "Haal" Makers After CBFC Denies Certificate

The production team of the upcoming Malayalam romantic drama Haal, starring Shane Nigam, has petitioned the Kerala High Court against the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), contesting demands to excise 15 scenes and dialogues, including a controversial sequence involving the consumption of beef biryani. The film's certification process, initially cleared by the regional office on September 10, hit a snag when CBFC headquarters in Mumbai intervened, citing religious and cultural sensitivities that could incite communal tensions. This escalation, mirroring recent disputes like the retitling of Janaki V vs. State of Kerala, has postponed Haal's release—originally slated for today—potentially into late October, amplifying financial strains for JVJ Productions amid a competitive festival season.

Directed by debutant Veera and penned by Nishad K. Koya—known for Ordinary and Thoppil Joppan—Haal explores themes of love and identity through the lens of inter-community romance, featuring co-stars Sakshi Vaidya and Johny Antony. The CBFC's Revising Committee, while provisionally assigning an 'A' (adults only) rating, flagged the beef biryani depiction as promoting "objectionable dietary practices," alongside cuts to phrases like "Dhwaja Pranamam" (an RSS-associated salute), references to "Sangham Kaval Und" (a saffron brigade nod), a character donning a burqa to conceal identity, and rakhis worn by Sangh Parivar-like figures. Additional modifications include blurring "Holy Angels College of Nursing" in a scene and securing Thamarassery Bishop's consent for his portrayal, with the board decrying the film's "negative depiction" of police and state authorities. Producers Juby Thomas and Veera argue these edits violate Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution, guaranteeing freedom of speech, and represent subjective overreach, as the biryani scene—set in a casual family meal—carries no explicit religious endorsement.

The Kerala High Court, on October 9, directed the Union government to clarify its stance by the next hearing on October 14, buying time for negotiations while underscoring the judiciary's growing role in film censorship battles. This follows a pattern of heightened scrutiny on Malayalam cinema, where 2025 has seen over 20 certification delays, per industry trackers, often tied to Hindutva-sensitive content amid Kerala's polarised politics. Filmmakers contend the two-tier review—regional approval overridden centrally—lacks transparency, urging time-bound guidelines to mitigate losses; Haal, shot across Jordan, Kozhikode, and Mysore with a budget exceeding Rs. 20 crore, risks promotional setbacks from the hold-up. The postponement also stems from avoiding a clash with Nigam's action thriller Balti, released last week under debutant Unni Sivalingam, which has grossed Rs. 15 crore in its opening weekend despite mixed reviews.

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Nigam, 26, returns to romantic leads post-Little Hearts (2022), with Haal boasting Atif Aslam's chart-topping tracks and multilingual dubs in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, and Kannada for pan-Indian appeal. Producer JVJ Productions, in an Instagram statement, emphasised collaborative rescheduling in the "larger interest" of both films, but the censorship row has sparked solidarity from peers like Lijo Jose Pellissery, who decried it as "artistic suffocation". As the petition seeks not just certification but systemic reforms—like AI-assisted pre-reviews to curb delays—the case could set precedents for regional cinema's autonomy. Fans, trending #ReleaseHaalUncut on X with 50,000 posts, await the court's ruling, viewing it as a litmus test for creative freedoms in an era of polarised narratives.

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