Adani News

Tag: screening

  • Supreme Court stays West Bengal ban on screening of ‘The Kerala Story’

    Supreme Court stays West Bengal ban on screening of ‘The Kerala Story’

    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the ban imposed by the State of West Bengal on the screening of the controversial film ‘The Kerala Story’.

    The top court also recorded the statement made on behalf of Tamil Nadu that the state had not imposed a direct or indirect ban on the movie. It also directed the government to provide security to theatres and to moviegoers.

    “Law can’t be used to put a premium on public intolerance, otherwise all films will find themselves in this spot,” observed a bench comprising CJI DY Chandrachud, Justice PS Narasimha, and Justice JB Pardiwala.

    “The film has been released everywhere in the country. You can’t make the fundamental right of free speech to be dependent on public display of emotion. Public display of emotion has to be controlled. if you don’t like it, don’t see it,” CJI told Senior Advocate Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for West Bengal Government.

    “You’re saying that ban on the film is on the basis of 13 people, you get any 13 people they’ll say ban any movie. Unless you’re showing them cartoons. Section 6 (of the West Bengal Cinema Regulation Act ) cannot be utilized to put a premium on pubic intolerance,”CJI Chandrachud remarked.

    During the hearing, the bench also questioned the claim made by the film that 32,000 women from Kerala have been deceitfully converted to Islam and recruited to ISIS. Senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for the film producer, agreed to clarify in the disclaimer that “there is no authentic data available to back up the suggestion that the figure of conversions is 32,000 or any other established figure,” he said.

    He said that the disclaimer will be added by 5 PM on May 20. The disclaimer will clarify that the film represents a fictionalised version of the subject matter.

    The Court’s order came in a plea filed by makers of ‘The Kerala Story’- Sunshine Pictures Private Limited and Vipul Amrutlal Shah challenging the West Bengal government’s decision to ban the screening of the film.

    The bench also agreed to post the pleas challenging Kerala and Madras high courts’ order of refusing to stay the screening of the film post-summer vacations. While Kerala HC passed the order by laying emphasis on artistic freedom and said that there was a need to strike a balance, Madras HC had ruled that decision of the statutory body can be interfered with under Article 226 of the Constitution of India only if there is a procedural infraction.

    The bench also noted that none of the petitioners had watched the film and that the producers had added a disclaimer that the film was a fictionalised version of events. However, the High Court also recorded the submission of the producer that the teaser of the movie, which claimed that over 32,000 women from Kerala were recruited to ISIS, will be removed from their social media accounts.

    Defending its order issued under Section 6(1) of the West Bengal Cinemas (Regulation) Act on May 8 of banning the movie “The Kerala Story”, the Mamata Banerjee government has told the SC that the movie contains hate speech and is based on manipulated facts that can lead to communal disharmony and law and order issues in the State.

    Whereas, denying the allegations of the de facto ban in Tamil Nadu with regards to the movie ‘The Kerala Story ‘ and terming them as baseless, Tamil Nadu government had told SC that the movie was released in 19 multiplexes in Tamil Nadu on May 5 and there was no order banning the screening of the film.

  • The Kerala Story Screenings Cancelled In Tamil Nadu Over Law And Order Concerns

    The Kerala Story Screenings Cancelled In Tamil Nadu Over Law And Order Concerns

    Amid stinging reviews, allegedly poor box office collections as well as protests, theatres in Tamil Nadu stopped the screening of “The Kerala Story” in the State from May 7 onwards.

    When this writer tried to book via online platforms for a Sunday afternoon show, it was not possible anymore.

    President of Tamil Nadu Theatre and Multiplex Owners Association, M Subramaniam, popularly known as Tiruppur Subramaniam, confirmed the news that the few multiplexes that had shown the film had decided to withdraw it.

    “The film was only shown in a few multiplexes owned by pan-India groups, mostly PVR. Locally-owned multiplexes had already decided not to show the film, as it did not have any popular stars. In Coimbatore for instance, there were two shows so far — one on Friday and one on Saturday. Even those did not do well. Given that, theatres decided that it was not worth going through the threat of protests and such,” added Subramaniam.

    On April 6, Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) staged a protest against the release of the film in Chennai. Seeman, the party’s coordinator, who is also actor and director, along with NTK cadres, had protested near Anna Nagar Arch.

    Film industry tracker Sreedhar Pillai, who said he was planning to watch the film on Sunday, only to find out it was no longer shown, had also tweeted that the film multiplexes will stop screening “The Kerala Story”.

    “The multiplex owners have cited potential law and order issues and lack of interest as reasons for the move,” said Pillai.

    Meanwhile in Kerala, according to the distributors, E4 Entertainment, 22 screens across the State are screening the films. Although the theatre owners in Kerala had told Press Trust of India before the release of the film that they were not worried about the adverse publicity, on the day of release, on May 5, a few theatres, including PVR Cinemas at Lulu Mall and Oberon Mall in Kochi, decided not to screen the film. When contacted, a spokesperson for PVR Cinemas had declined to comment.

  • Kanti Velugu: Over 80 lakh screenings, 13.7 lakh spectacles distributed

    Kanti Velugu: Over 80 lakh screenings, 13.7 lakh spectacles distributed

    Hyderabad: The State government has so far screened over 80 lakh people and distributed 13.70 lakh spectacles to the needy. According to the Health department officials, so far 80,67,243 people were screened across the State under the ‘KantiVelugu’ programme, which is aimed at avoiding treatable blindness. As many as 13,70,296 persons, with visual problems, have been identified and given free spectacles and medicines. The beneficiaries have expressed happiness that thousands of rupees were being saved for the poor middle class families with government medical care.

    The government had launched the KantiVelugu scheme with the aim of health for all. The programme is for 100 days from January 19 to June 15. The administration has made elaborate arrangements in districts to make the programme successful. District collectors, Medical and Health staff and officials of various departments have been running the KantiVelugu camps.

    The figures recorded in the camps show that in all districts there were more people who were troubled by not being able to see closely. Many aged over 40 come to camps with short-sight. Reading glasses were provided to such people immediately. Besides, vitamin A, D and B complex tablets are being distributed to many people who are coming with eye problems. People aged above 50 were found mostly suffering from cataract. Information about the treatment time for those who need surgery is being provided through mobile phones. Doctors are giving advice and instructions to those who had already completed surgery and are suffering from other problems.

    To mark the International Women’s Day, the government had made arrangements to conduct free medical check-ups for women at health centres. Necessary tests were conducted for women in eight categories and arrangements made to provide free follow-up treatment to those diagnosed with diseases. The government launched 100 Arogya Mahila Kendras in the State. Every Tuesday women are being tested at the centres and measures taken to provide further treatment. Basic diagnostic, cancer screening, micronutrient deficiencies, urinary tract infections, PID, PCOS, family planning, menstrual problems, menopause management, sexually-transmitted diseases, body weight issues are being tested.