Kerala High Court bars commercial film shoots in wildlife sanctuaries, tiger reserves

The Kerala High Court has ruled that commercial film and television serial shoots cannot be permitted inside wildlife sanctuaries, national parks, or tiger reserves, delivering the order while hearing a petition by Malayalam director Tharun Moorthy for his Mohanlal-starrer "Athimanoharam".

A Division Bench comprising Justice Raja V. Vijayaraghavan and Justice K.V. Jayakumar dismissed the petition, which had sought directions to the Divisional Forest Officer, Ranni, and the Deputy Director, Periyar West Division, Peerumedu, to approve the filmmaker's shooting requests.

Two locations cleared, core demand rejected

Though the court turned down the main plea, it observed that two locations mentioned in Moorthy's application could be permitted for shooting between August 18 and 28, on condition that the film crew paid the prescribed fees and signed an agreement with the Forest and Wildlife department.

The Deputy Director, Peerumedu, had earlier told the court that the areas specified in the filmmaker's representations fell within the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR), which is leased to the Travancore Devaswom Board exclusively to facilitate the Sabarimala pilgrimage. The Devaswom Board had already granted shooting permission, but made it conditional on prior clearance from Forest officials.

Legal remedies remain open

While dismissing the petition, the Bench clarified that the petitioners retained the right to challenge the Deputy Director's decision denying permission through appropriate legal channels.

The ruling underscores strict regulatory boundaries around protected forest areas, signalling that commercial filming activities will not be accommodated in ecologically sensitive zones designated under wildlife protection laws, even when other administrative bodies have approved such requests.

Source: The Hindu