No filming in forests without legal clearance: Kerala HC
The Kerala High Court just put its foot down on commercial filming in wildlife sanctuaries, national parks, and tiger reserves—unless you have proper legal clearance.
This move comes after worries about the impact of the 2018 filming of "Unda" on local ecosystems.
The judges made it clear: protecting these wild spaces needs to come first.
Court invalidates 2013 rule allowing paid forest shoots
The court also invalidated a 2013 government rule that let filmmakers pay a fee to shoot in protected areas.
Just paying up isn't enough, they said—the law has to back it up.
Now, the Forest Department has to update their guidelines and make sure everyone follows the new rules.
Kerala's forest protection laws just got stronger
If the state ever tries to relax these restrictions or bring in new policies for filming in forests, those moves will get reviewed by the courts too.
With this decision, Kerala's forest protection laws just got a lot stronger—good news for anyone who cares about nature sticking around for the long run.