"Temples cannot be given for shooting."
Kerala Devaswom Minister K Muraleedharan has firmly declared that no permission will be granted for movie shoots at the Sabarimala temple.
The statement came following a significant controversy over permission that had been given to the team of Mohanlal’s upcoming film Athimanoharam.
Muraleedharan addressed the issue directly and made the government’s position on the matter absolutely clear.
He said: “We can’t let movie shoots happen at Sabarimala.
“Permission can be granted only for movies related to Lord Ayyappa at Sabarimala temple and religious films.
“Normal films cannot be granted permission.
“Temples cannot be given for shooting. That’s government policy.”
The senior Congress leader, who is also the son of former Kerala Chief Minister K Karunakaran, said he would look into the matter in detail.
He reiterated firmly that Sabarimala cannot and should not be used as a regular film-shooting location for commercial productions.
The controversy began after the Travancore Devaswom Board reportedly granted the Athimanoharam team permission to shoot at the pilgrimage centre.
The approval covered locations from Pampa to Sannidhanam and came with several specific and strict conditions attached.
Among those conditions was a direction that the film should not negatively portray Sabarimala or the religious beliefs associated with the revered temple.
The Board had also reportedly specified that the production team would need to obtain separate permission from the Forest Department.
However, the Forest Department subsequently denied that permission, effectively preventing the proposed shoot from going ahead.
The denial by the Forest Department has now raised questions about how the Devaswom Board had granted permission in the first place.
Many have questioned whether such approvals can legitimately be issued for regular commercial films at one of India’s most revered pilgrimage centres.
The Sabarimala temple is administered by the Travancore Devaswom Board.
Athimanoharam is directed by Tharun Moorthy and stars Mohanlal in the lead role with Meera Jasmine as the female lead opposite him.
The cast also includes Lalu Alex, Manoj K Jayan, Jagadish, Irshad, Sudheesh and Pramod Veliyanad among several other performers.
A substantial portion of the film has already been completed, with Thodupuzha and Kochi serving as key shooting locations during production.
The remaining portions of the film were planned across Thodupuzha, Kochi, Sabarimala, Hyderabad and Mumbai before the controversy erupted.
The inclusion of Sabarimala in the shoot plan is now at the centre of the administrative and religious debate surrounding the production.
The film is scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release on December 24, 2026, making the resolution of the shooting location issue time-sensitive.
