The Kerala High Court has declined to grant interim relief to the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy over seven documentaries withheld from a film festival it is conducting, observing that, prima facie, there is no arbitrariness or unreasonableness in withholding seven of the 346 documentaries submitted to the Union Ministry, and has listed the case for November 13.
Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Monday declined to grant any interim order in a writ petition by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy over seven documentaries that have not been cleared for screening at its film festival, observing that, prima facie, there is no arbitrariness or unreasonableness in withholding seven of the 346 documentaries submitted to the Ministry for screening [Kerala State Chalachitra Academy v. Union of India and Others].
Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas passed the order on September 28, 2026 and directed the respondents to file a statement in the meantime. The case will be heard again on November 13, 2026. This is an interim order, and the Court has not decided the merits of the petition.
What the Union told the Court
The Additional Solicitor General of India, on instructions, submitted that the Academy had submitted 347 documentaries for screening and had itself withdrawn one, leaving 346 for consideration. Of these, 315 were permitted to be screened, and 24 had already obtained certification from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), so a total of 339 documentaries have been permitted to be screened at the festival.
As regards the remaining seven, the Union said that six have been referred to the Ministry of Home Affairs for its inputs on their content, and one has been referred to the Ministry of External Affairs for the same purpose. The order does not name the seven documentaries.
The Court’s view
Having heard Senior Advocate A. Sudhi Vasudevan, instructed by Advocate Saniya C.V., for the Academy, and the Additional Solicitor General for the Union, the Court said that it was of the view that, prima facie, there is no arbitrariness or unreasonableness in withholding seven of the 346 documentaries. It therefore declined to grant any interim order, including permission to screen the seven films provisionally, as reported.
Background as reported
According to reports, the films are part of the 18th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Keralam (IDSFFK), which began in Thiruvananthapuram on September 25 and concludes on September 30. The Academy had sought exemption from the requirement of censor certificates for the films it selected. Reports said that the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had initially not cleared 31 titles, and that the Academy told filmmakers it could not screen films that lacked the exemption. The Ministry was reported to have said publicly that permission had not been denied to any film. The numbers recorded in the order are those put before the Court by the Union.
Why it matters
The order turns on the numbers put before the Court: 339 of 346 documentaries permitted, and seven still under consideration by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of External Affairs. At the interim stage, the Court did not see arbitrariness in holding those seven back while the inputs are awaited, and it did not disturb the Ministry’s process.
The Academy’s challenge to the withholding of the seven films remains pending, and the Union has been asked to file a statement before the next hearing on November 13, which falls after the festival ends. The Court has expressed no final view on whether the withholding is justified, and no view is expressed here on the content of the films or on the positions of the Centre and the State.
Case Title: Kerala State Chalachitra Academy v. Union of India and Others [WP(C) No. 33115 of 2026]
Bench: Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas, Kerala High Court
Date of Order: September 28, 2026
Appearances: Senior Advocate A. Sudhi Vasudevan, with Advocate Saniya C.V., and Standing Counsel Jose Jones Joseph appeared for the Academy. The Additional Solicitor General of India, P. Sreekumar, with Senior Panel Counsel Dayasindhu Shreehari N.S., appeared for the Union of India.