The Kerala High Court on Tuesday stayed all further proceedings initiated to present the best national children's film award to Malayalam film Keshu until further orders.
Justice Antony Dominic passed the interim order on a writ petition filed by M. Abdul Majeed and Dhirubhai Chauhan, director and producer respectively of Chithrakuzhal, challenging the grant of the 57th national best children's film award to Keshu.
The court made it clear that the stay order would not stand in the way of presenting national film awards in the other categories. The presentation of the national film awards is scheduled for October 22. The stay order was passed as the court was satisfied that the petitioners had made out a prima facie case for getting an interim order.
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The petitioners said the decision of the regional jury meeting of the 57th national film awards, which considered the children's films for recommending the award, was flawed.
According to the petitioners, Keshu is directed by Sivan, father of film director Sanjeev Sivan who was a member of the regional jury which selected the Malayalam film for the award.
The petitioner said only two Malayalam children's films came up before the regional jury which had to recommend the best film to the central jury.
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Mr.Sanjeev Sivan took part in the meeting of the regional jury and recommended Keshu . The petitioners alleged that the film was re-make of Pularvettam , a film directed by Harikumar, another member of the Central jury.
Keshu was given the best children's film award due to the undue pressure exerted by Sanjeev Sivan.
The petitioners alleged that, in fact, the regional jury had refused even to consider the film submitted by the petitioners. The action of the regional jury was arbitrary and illegal.
In fact, Mr.Sanjeev Sivan should not have been made a member of the regional jury when his father had submitted a film for an award.