Tuesday, February 15 2005 20:12 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Chennai: A private school at Madurai, run by Christian missionaries, today (Feb 15, 2005) moved the Madras High Court to stop screening of popular Tamil film 'Kadal' (love) in the country, particularly in Tamil Nadu, alleging that it showed the school in poor light.

Admitting a civil suit filed by the correspondent of the St Josephs Girls Higher Secondary School, Madurai, Justice R Balasubramanian ordered notice, returnable in a week, to film producer Shankar and director and story writer Balaji Shaktivel.

The film was released on December 17 last.

The plaintiff contended that some scenes lead to the impression that the school had features which helped girl students freely develop outside contact with the opposite sex and that its administration was lethargic.

"Anyone who watches the movie will develop the definite impression that the petitioner school provides an atmosphere of indiscipline and complete lack of administration," the correspondent said.

To add insult to injury, "it is depicted that the movie's story is based on a true event," the petitioner said adding the film had created such an adverse impact that some of the parents were against their wards continuing in the school.

The film, the petitioner contended, showed in clear terms the heroine as a student of the school, wearing the school uniform.

It also gave the impression that discipline was lax, enabling girls students to freely flirt with boys outside school.

Even when showing an excursion scene, the tourist bus bore a banner of the school, the petitioner said and claimed that the Principal, teachers and administrators were shown as nuns, with the same attire they use in the school. In addition, in more than six scenes the school's name was prominently displayed.

Submitting that the 72-year-old school ranked high in public esteem, the suit claimed Rs 20 lakh as damages.

The story centres around a minor girl, studying in the school, who develops a friendship with a roadside mechanic and finally she elopes. She, along with another student, both in the school uniforms, are shown roaming around with the mechanic in the outskirts of Madurai city.