The Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond – A Highly Controversial Sequel Set for Release Amid Legal Battles and Political Backlash

Last Updated on 2 weeks ago by Aman Kumar

So the Kerala story 2 is now released on 27 February after all this drama of court cases and limitations of theatre . Will it saw a huge graphical change in terms of earning similar to 2023 kerala story?

Kerala story 1 TEAM and CAST

Role	Name
Director	Sudipto Sen
Key Writers	Sudipto Sen, Suryapal Singh, Vipul Amrutlal Shah.
Producer	Vipul Amrutlal Shah.
Lead Cast:	Adah Sharma as Shalini Unnikrishnan / Fatima Ba (the central character, a nursing student who undergoes conversion and radicalization).
Supporting Cast:	Includes Devadarshini Chetan (as Shalini’s mother), Vijay Krishna, Pranay Pachauri (as Rameez), Pranav Misshra, Saniya Mir, Benedict Garrett, Eleena Koul, and others.
Other Key Crew:	Cinematography by Prasantanu Mohapatra, editing by Sanjay Sharma, music by Bishakhjyoti and Viresh Sreevalsa.

Kerala story 2 TEAM and CAST

ROLE	Name
Director	Kamakhya Narayan Singh
Key Writers/Screenplay	Amarnath Jha, Vipul Amrutlal Shah
Producer	Vipul Amrutlal Shah
Lead Cast	Ulka Gupta as Surekha (or Surekha Gupta).Aditi Bhatia as Divya (or Divya Paliwal / Alia).Aishwarya Ojha as Neha (or Neha Sant / Nafisa).
Supporting Cast:	Sumit Gahlawat (as Salim), Arjan Singh Aujla (as Faizan), Yuktam Kholsa/Khoslla (as Rasheed/Rashid), Alka Amin (as Hafsa Begum), and others including Ramji Bali and more in supporting roles.
Other Key Crew	Music by Mannan Shaah

Directed by Kamakhya Narayan Singh and produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah under Sunshine Pictures, the film expands the original narrative beyond Kerala, focusing on alleged forced religious conversions, manipulative interfaith relationships, and their impact on women across multiple Indian states.

Starring Ulka Gupta, Aditi Bhatia, and Aishwarya Ojha, it runs approximately 2 hours and 11 minutes and has received a UA 16+ certification from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) after undergoing 16 cuts, including trims to intimate and assault scenes.

The tagline—”Our daughters don’t fall in love, they fall in traps”—and promotional materials claim the story is based on extensive research, including over 1,500 articles, 70–80 FIRs, victim interviews, and court judgments. Unlike the first film, which centered on Kerala and faced criticism for its “32,000 women” claim (later reframed as “inspired by true events”), this sequel broadens the scope while retaining the controversial title.

Trailer and Promotional Controversies

The official trailer, released on February 17, 2026, ignited immediate backlash, particularly over a scene depicting a Hindu woman being force-fed beef by her Muslim in-laws. Critics, especially from Kerala, slammed it as unrealistic and insensitive, given the state’s widespread and harmonious beef consumption across communities (including Syrian Christian beef fry, pork, and fish dishes). Malayali netizens mocked the portrayal online with comments questioning its authenticity, such as references to “beef without porotta” and highlighting Kerala’s culinary coexistence.

Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap condemned the scene and the film as “bakwas picture,” “nonsense propaganda,” and “bulls**t propaganda,” accusing it of hate-mongering and greed-driven division. He remarked, “Aise koi khichdi bhi nahi khilata” (No one force-feeds even khichdi like that). Actor Prakash Raj responded light-heartedly by sharing images of Kerala’s iconic beef dishes, emphasizing harmony and coexistence as the “real Kerala Story.”

The makers defended the content, with producer Vipul Shah expressing sorrow over dismissing victims’ stories as “jhoothi” (false), stating it hurts real survivors. Director Kamakhya Narayan Singh rebutted critics like Kashyap and Prakash Raj, calling some remarks “intellectually bankrupt.”

Political Debate and Accusations of Propaganda

The film has sparked fierce political debate. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan labeled it “anti-Kerala propaganda,” “poisonous,” and a threat to secular harmony, accusing it of demonizing Muslims and aligning with Sangh Parivar agendas ahead of potential elections. Opposition parties, including Congress-led UDF and CPI(M)-led LDF, united in condemnation, calling it divisive. Congress leader Shashi Tharoor criticized it for spreading hatred.

BJP supporters defended it as a “wake-up call” on uncomfortable truths and creative freedom. Social media discussions on X (formerly Twitter) remain polarized: supporters hail it as empowering victims and exposing “love jihad,” while opponents call it election-time propaganda to criminalize minorities and polarize voters.

Promotional events introduced over 30 alleged victims of forced conversions, but none were from Kerala—mostly from states like Bengal, Bihar, Rajasthan, and others—fueling accusations that the title misrepresents and defames Kerala.

Legal Battles and Court Interventions

Multiple petitions in the Kerala High Court challenge the film’s certification, title, and content, alleging defamation of Kerala, incitement to communal violence, and misrepresentation. Petitioners include Sreedev Namboodiri, Freddie V Francis, and Advocate Atul Roy, questioning CBFC’s clearance and noting promotional “victims” are non-Keralite.

The court ordered a special screening for judges (scheduled or conducted around February 25, 2026) and directed producers to arrange it. On February 25, 2026, the bench observed petitioners’ apprehensions as “probably genuine,” directed makers to stall the release and refrain from transferring rights until hearings conclude, and postponed proceedings. Producers filed counter-affidavits calling pleas “premature, misconceived, and not maintainable,” emphasizing CBFC’s authority and the film’s multi-state scope (the “The” refers to the franchise, not restricting to Kerala).

Rumors of teaser/trailer removal were dismissed as false by Sunshine Pictures, clarifying no court order mandates it. As of February 25, 2026 (evening), the release hangs in the balance, with potential delays or alterations.

Broader Implications and Public Discourse

The sequel has reignited debates on cinema’s societal role, freedom of expression versus communal harmony, and the boundary between storytelling and propaganda. X discussions range from support (“The truth doesn’t whisper. It shakes you”) to condemnation as divisive ahead of polls. Netizens are split, with some urging theater attendance and others trolling the portrayal.

Whether The Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond releases on February 27 or faces further hurdles, it mirrors its predecessor’s legacy—sparking a storm far beyond Kerala’s borders and highlighting deep divisions in India’s cultural and political landscape.

UPDATE TILL 1 MARCH 2026

• movie is now streaming but is limited .
• kerala high court ( single judge bench) removed stay order.
• It saw a slow start on Feb 27 and the net amount collected approximately is 0.75 crore.
• february 28 was just god’s gift and it saw a massive 520% growth and reached 4.65 crore approx on day 2
• on march 1 the movie did not performed that well and saw only 7% growth approximately.

What do we understand from the above data

• 1st movie was superhit .
• but 2 nd movie lagged behind .
• the reason might be number of court cases leading to lesser number of theatres showing it , more number movies are produced daily and audience is divided especially the hindi belt.