The Kerala High Court has declined to interfere with the Forest Department’s refusal to permit shooting of Mohanlal-starrer Malayalam film Athimanoharam at Pamba and Sannidhanam, areas falling within the Periyar Tiger Reserve.
A Division Bench of Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V. and Justice K.V. Jayakumar disposed of a petition filed by director Tharun Moorthy and producer Ashiq U.E., who had sought directions to the Forest Department to consider their request for permission to shoot at the locations.
The filmmakers had obtained permission from the Travancore Devaswom Board, but the approval was conditional upon obtaining clearances from the forest authorities, including the Deputy Director of the Periyar Tiger Reserve and the concerned Divisional Forest Officer.
The forest authorities subsequently rejected the request, relying on an earlier Division Bench ruling in Angels Nair v. Principal Secretary and a government order issued in August 2025. The authorities took the position that commercial films and television serials cannot be permitted inside wildlife sanctuaries, national parks or tiger reserves.
The High Court noted that Pamba and Sannidhanam form part of the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary and Periyar Tiger Reserve. The fact that portions of the forest land had been leased or diverted to the Travancore Devaswom Board for facilitating the Sabarimala pilgrimage does not alter their legal status as forest land.
The Court therefore declined to interfere with the Forest Department’s decision and disposed of the filmmakers’ plea.
The development follows the Kerala High Court’s earlier ruling that a 2013 State government order could not be treated as authorising commercial film or television shoots inside wildlife sanctuaries, national parks and tiger reserves contrary to the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
While filming has consequently been denied at Sannidhanam, reports indicate that shooting has been permitted in areas falling within the Ranni Forest Division up to Pamba, outside the restricted portion concerned.
The ruling underscores the legal restrictions governing commercial activity in protected forest areas, even where the proposed location is also associated with religious or pilgrimage-related activities.
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