Mumbai: Producer Vipul Shah on Friday said “The Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond” does not portray Kerala or its people in a negative light, hours after the Kerala High Court paved the way for the film’s release.
A division bench of justices Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and P V Balakrishnan stayed a single judge’s order that had put the film’s screening on hold for 15 days. The bench passed the interim order on an appeal moved by Shah late Thursday night, shortly after the stay on the movie’s release was granted.
Addressing a press conference shortly after the Kerala High Court order, Shah, who has co-written and produced the film under his banner Sunshine Pictures, said the film has been made with a lot of hard work and honesty.
Here are the key points from the producer’s statements and the surrounding controversy:
- Intentions Behind the Film: Shah stated”If something wrong is happening in God’s Own Country, then it should be brought to people’s notice and corrected”. He added that the film targets criminals, who could be from any state, and that the story “goes beyond one state”.
- Response to Criticism: Addressing accusations of propaganda, Shah remained defiant, stating”Call it propaganda if you want, we stand with the victims and will continue seeking justice for them”. He encouraged people to watch the film to understand it is not against Kerala.
- Legal Clearance: The Kerala High Court division bench cleared the film for release after it underwent certification, which included 15 suggested cuts. Shah noted that the film was reviewed by an expanded eight-member committee, including two social workers from Kerala.
- Context of the Sequel: The Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond addresses what the creators describe as a “massive agenda of manipulative conversion” across India. The film is scheduled for release on February 27, 2026.
- Controversy: Despite the legal clearance, the film has faced criticism from political leaders, including Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who labeled it “communal propaganda”.
The producer expressed hope that people in Kerala would support the film’s message against criminal activity rather than opposing it.
