The upcoming Hindi film, The Kerala Story 2, under fire from political leaders over the depiction of forced conversion in Kerala, has received support from Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC. On Friday, Shaina NC defended the movie, stating it’s not spreading misinformation.
Shaina NC defends The Kerala Story 2
While speaking with ANI, the Shiv Sena leader claimed that, as shown in the film’s recently released trailer, many girls in Kerala have been converted and urged people to look at both sides to maintain peace in society.
“The film Kerala Story 2 is not a campaign of misinformation. The truth is that many girls in Kerala have been converted… This becomes evident when you look at the case study of 32,000 girls… Highlighting this is the aim of this film. To those protesting against it, I would only say that if you want to maintain peace in society, you should look at both sides and understand what is actually happening in Kerala,” she said.
The trailer of The Kerala Story 2 has sparked controversy, with some calling it “brutal truth” and others labelling it “propaganda”. The film explores themes of religious conversion and coercion, set in Kerala, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh. Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan has also slammed the film, as has religious body All India Muslim Jamaat. CM Vijayan said such a film could again try to create communal tension in the state.
Vipul Shah opens up on The Kerala Story 2
Amid the ongoing debate, the film’s producer, Vipul Amrutlal Shah, has said that it does not target Kerala. “We’re not after Kerala. Kerala is God’s Country… We want this evil in that state to be eradicated as soon as possible,” he told ANI.
Shah also explained why the sequel carries the same title and how the story goes beyond one state. Speaking about the wider scope of the film, he said, “The Kerala Story 2 goes beyond Kerala and exposes the massive conspiracy of manipulative conversion going on throughout India. Because its central theme is the same as Kerala Story 1, we named it Kerala Story 2.”
Directed by Kamakhya Narayan Singh, The Kerala Story 2 is scheduled to release in theatres on February 27. It is a sequel to the 2023 film, The Kerala Story, which also courted controversy upon its release, but was eventually commercially successful, and won two National Film Awards. The new film has an entirely new cast and a new director.
