New Delhi: Tamil Nadu told the apex court on Tuesday that it had made adequate security arrangements to prevent violent protests by Muslim organizations led by Indian National League against The Kerala Story, but theatre owners withdrew the film due to poor response and lack of popular stars in the cast. The SC will hear on Wednesday a plea by the film’s producer against the ban in West Bengal and ‘shadow ban’ in Tamil Nadu.

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New Delhi: On the eve of the Supreme Court’s scheduled hearing of a plea filed by the producer of ‘The Kerala Story’ challenging the ban in West Bengal and ‘shadow ban’ in TN, the DMK government, in an affidavit by the additional DGP (law and order), said theatre owners had withdrawn the film on their own despite adequate security arrangements by the police.

Two days before the film’s release in Tamil Nadu on May 5, the intelligence department of the police had sent out a message to police stations, saying “there is every possibility that radical elements and members of religious organizations may resort to violent agitation/protest in front of theatres where the said film is released”, urging a ban on the movie.

It had asked all the police stations to take adequate precautions to “avert any untoward incident, and to maintain law and order and communal amity”.

The state said in its affidavit, “After its release, it appears that multiplex owners took the decision to stop screening the film on May 7 in view of the criticism received by it—lack of well-known actors, poor performances and poor audience response. The state exercises no control over theatre owners’ decision.”

It added, “Despite objections and protests from a few Muslim organizations, the film was released in 19 multiplexes throughout the state on May 5. It was heavily criticized, with some Muslim organizations alleging that it spread ‘anti-Muslim hate’ and ‘Islamophobia’ among the common public and has been produced solely with the intent to polarize other religions against Muslims.”

The state also said that it had made adequate security arrangements for the safe screening of the film and added, “There is no evidence of the state government’s involvement in the decision of theatre owners to discontinue screening of the film.”