Introduction:

The Kerala High Court is set to examine a scene from the Malayalam movie ‘Antony,’ which has sparked controversy for allegedly hurting religious sentiments. The contentious scene portrays a gun concealed within a Bible, drawing objections from the Christian community. The petitioner argues that the depiction is offensive and seeks the Court’s intervention. However, the Court emphasizes the need for tolerance, comparing it to similar instances in English movies from the 1960s and 1970s. The bench questions how viewers can identify the book in question as the Bible, given the fleeting nature of the shot. The movie underwent censorship before release, raising questions about the necessity of such objections.

Arguments of Both Sides:

The petitioner, represented by Advocates Gigimon Issac, Tom Thomas, and Tobias Togi Mathew, contends that the scene featuring a gun inside a Bible is offensive to the Christian community. They argue that it hurts religious sentiments and requests the Court to consider additional evidence, presumably the video clip in question. On the contrary, the Court questions the necessity of objections, emphasizing the fleeting nature of the scene. It suggests that such passing references to religious books have been present in cinema for decades without causing significant distress.

Court’s Judgement:

The Kerala High Court agrees to view the allegedly objectionable scene but questions the intolerance towards passing references to religious books. The bench notes that the depiction was brief, possibly going unnoticed by viewers. It raises doubts about the identification of the book as the Bible and highlights the movie’s prior censorship by experts. The Court’s remarks indicate a cautious approach, urging a balance between artistic expression and religious sentiments.