Shane Nigam's 'Haal' trailer raises uncomfortable questions after censorship controversy

The trailer of Shane Nigam's much-discussed film ‘Haal’ is out now, setting off conversations regarding its theme even ahead of its theatrical debut. Though ‘Haal’ is positioned as a romantic film, the trailer hints that the film will explore a largely unexplored subject in Malayalam cinema. The film has been certified UA 16+ and is scheduled for a Christmas release on December 25.

Directed by Veera, ‘Haal’ had recently made headlines following the Central Board of Film Certification's directive to remove certain scenes from the movie, which explores Christian–Muslim romance, Islamic State (IS) recruitment, and Islamophobia. Shane Nigam appears in the role of a rapper in the film.

Earlier, the Censor Board had recommended as many as 16 cuts, including a scene depicting the consumption of beef biryani in the film. Maintaining that certification would be granted only after these edits, the CBFC's stance was challenged by the film's makers in the High Court. While a single bench struck down four of the proposed cuts, appeals filed by the CBFC and the Catholic Congress were later dismissed. The Division Bench upheld the single bench verdict after the judges personally viewed ‘Haal’reportedly observing that they had enjoyed the film.

Following these developments and controversies, the film was granted a UA 16+ certificate. Sakshi Vaidya plays the female lead in ‘Haal.’ Johny Antony, Nath, Vineeth Beep Kumar, K. Madhupal, Sangeetha Madhavan Nair, Joy Mathew, Nishanth Sagar, Niyas Becker, Riyas Narmakala, Suresh Krishna, Raveendran, Sohan Seenulal, Manoj K. U, Unniraja, and Sreedhanya play prominent roles in the movie.

Produced under the banner of JVJ Productions, the film will be released in Malayalam, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, and Kannada. The screenplay is written by Nishad Koya, with Think Music serving as the music partner.

The music is composed by Nandagopan V. Cinematography: Ravi Chandran, Editor: Akash Joseph Varghese, Art Directors: Naathan, Prasanth Madhav, Project Designer: Shamnas M. Ashraf, Costume Design: Dhanya Balakrishnan, Tanveer Ahmad, Production Controller: Jinu P.K., Makeup: Amal Chandran, Choreography: Sandy, Sherif Master, Dinesh Master, Manishadha, Lyrics: Vinayak Sasikumar, Bins, Muthu, Neeraj Kumar, Mridul Meer, Abhi, Stills: S B K Shuhaib, Rajesh Natarajan, Sound Design: Anex Kurien, Sound Mixing: Vishnu Sujathan, VFX: Dot VFX Studios, DI: Colour Planet, Chief Associate Director: Maneesh Bhargavan, Associate Director: Praveen S. Vijay, Project Coordinators: Jibu JTT, Shizad, Publicity Designs: Tenpoint, Distribution: JVJ Release through Rajsagar Films, Overseas Distribution: Phars Films, PRO: Vazhoor Jose, Athira Diljith.