The Kerala High Court stepped in decisively on Thursday, slapping a 15-day ban on the theatrical release of ‘The Kerala Story 2’. Producers had geared up for a February 27 launch, but petitions highlighting risks of communal discord prompted the interim order.
During the court session, challengers contended that the film’s theme and depiction might spark widespread unrest and breach public order. The judges, weighing the gravity of these claims, chose to pause the rollout pending deeper scrutiny.
Under the mandate, exhibitors are barred from screening the movie anywhere in the state for the stipulated period. This abrupt intervention spells trouble for the Vipul Amritlal Shah production, which was building momentum with advance ticket sales nationwide.
Fans and distributors now face the hassle of processing refunds or rescheduling, amplifying potential revenue hits at a critical pre-release phase. The film’s teaser, unveiled last month, ignited debates with its story of three young Hindu women ensnared in love affairs that expose conversion conspiracies. Dressed in hijabs, they voice their torment before rallying with ‘No more endurance… time to fight.’
Political backlash intensified when CM Pinarayi Vijayan condemned the sequel as a sequel to hate-mongering. In a pointed X post, he rallied Keralites to shun it, drawing parallels to the first film’s alleged fabrications aimed at eroding secular values. ‘We’ve boycotted this communal ploy before and will do so again,’ he declared.
The chief minister lambasted the hypocrisy of allowing inflammatory narratives while stifling genuine critique in art. Urging collective resistance to paint Kerala as a terrorist den, Vijayan ended optimistically: ‘Truth shall triumph.’
This legal hurdle raises broader questions about censorship versus free speech in cinema. Stakeholders await the next hearing, but the delay has undeniably shifted the film’s trajectory.