Kochi: The Malayalam film 'Oru Jaathi Jathakam', directed by M. Mohanan, has sparked controversy for allegedly humiliating and being derogatory towards the LGBTQ+ community. On Friday, the Kerala High Court issued a notice to the movie’s director while considering a writ petition filed by Shakiy S Priyamvadha.

The petitioner alleged that the movie starring Vineeth Sreenivasan uses derogatory language to refer to the LGBTQ+ community and criticised the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for permitting its exhibition. The plea stated that the CBFC violated the right to dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution for individuals belonging to the LGBTQ+ community. It further argued that the CBFC also violated Article 14 by failing to take corrective measures despite receiving a complaint.

The petitioner, representing the community, appealed to the court to direct the state to take action against the movie’s director and production company under Section 18 of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019. This provision stipulates that any person who harms, injures, or endangers the life, safety, health, or well-being—whether mental or physical—of a transgender person, or engages in acts such as physical abuse, sexual abuse, verbal and emotional abuse, or economic abuse, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term ranging from six months to two years, along with a fine.

After reviewing the plea, Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas issued a notice to the CBFC, the production company, and the director of the movie.

The petitioner also requested the court to direct the removal or censorship of any humiliating words or dialogues against the LGBTQ+ community in the film and to ensure that such content is absent from all copies, including those released on OTT platforms. Additionally, the plea called for strict adherence to film certification guidelines to prevent similar offensive content from appearing in future films.

The court has scheduled the next hearing for February 28.
(With inputs from Live Law)