The Kerala High Court on Tuesday refused to stay the screening of Mohanlal-starrer L2: Empuraan, directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran, which was released in theaters on March 27.

BJP functionary VV Vijeesh had approached the High Court seeking to halt the film’s screening, citing concerns over potential communal violence.

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Dismissing the petition, a single bench of Justice CS Dias questioned the petitioner’s bona fides and suggested that the plea was a publicity stunt.

“Was it not certified by the Censor Board? Before a movie is released, the statute requires it to be certified by the Censor Board. It has been released. What is the subsequent objection? You are unnecessarily giving publicity to such things. I suspect your bona fides…This is all publicity-oriented litigation,” the court orally remarked.

The Deputy Solicitor General of India (DSGI) appeared for the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, while the State Attorney represented the Director General of Police.

However, the court dispensed with the requirement to notify party respondents, including Mohanlal, Prithviraj, and the film’s producers.

The film became a center of controversy after certain right-wing groups objected to its portrayal of the 2002 Gujarat riots. Following the backlash, Mohanlal expressed regret in a Facebook post and assured that the objectionable portions would be removed.

Vijeesh, a member of the BJP Thrissur District Committee, had alleged that Prithviraj Sukumaran deliberately targets the NDA government in his films to tarnish its reputation.

Meanwhile, the BJP suspended Vijeesh from the party’s primary membership for violating party discipline.

Announcing the suspension, Thrissur City District BJP President Justin Jacob clarified that the party had no connection with the petition and had not authorized Vijeesh to file it.