trailer of Kerala story 2 Opens with a bold claim – “Insha Allah, in the next 25 years, India will be an Islamic state under Sharia law”. It then reassures audiences that the film is “based on several true events”.This is an attention-grabbing start. But it has also reopened a familiar debate.
story of kerala The filmmakers have returned with a bold sequel, promising to “move forward”. But before they could do so, it was already stuck in legal trouble.Kerala HC marked the “incorrect portrayal” of the state and said it had the potential to “inflame passions”.The Kerala High Court, while hearing a petition, remarked, “Kerala lives in complete harmony. But you have shown that this is happening all over Kerala.” kerala story 2.
In this backdrop, the question arises: Is there something wrong with the Kerala story?“Everything,” said Kerala journalist Anitha, before offering an impassioned explanation.Recalling her experience, she said, “Not all girls wear jasmine flowers.” Kerala story 1.Since the film has not been released yet, the makers may get the benefit of the doubt. However, the trailer and teaser have already made many Malayalees question the authenticity of some scenes and the overarching narrative.From claims of force-feeding beef, to the debate around “love jihad”, to questions about data and representation – the controversy surrounding the film continues to extend beyond cinema to politics, law and public perception.This will be followed by a closer look at the concerns, counter-arguments, and debate surrounding Kerala story 2.
The case of missing beef and parotta
The first thing that got the most attention was the scene of force-feeding of beef. Parotta was missing, many Malayalis joked on social media.In the trailer, a woman is restrained by a group of men until one forcefully stuffs beef into her mouth as she screams – ‘I will die but will never eat beef’
The film’s director Kamakhya Singh said that he wanted to highlight the “religious conversion” taking place by force-feeding people beef.“Yes, once you taste beef, you won’t want to go back to a life where beef is banned. It is very tasty especially with hot puffed porotta,” commented Saneed Khadar, a 26-year-old Kerala resident who, along with pursuing post-graduation in journalism, also runs an event management company.Another Malayali, who has spent most of her life in Kerala but now works for an advertising firm in Bengaluru, said: “I have spent my entire life in Kerala, at least 25 years, I have met thousands and thousands of people.”लेकिन मैं कभी किसी मलयाली से नहीं मिला जो गोमांस पर ईईईईईईईईईईईईईईईईईईईईईईईईईईईईईईईईईईईईईईईईईईईईईईईईईईईईईईवुहहह करता हो। “It was always like, let’s have beef parotta,” he said.“Almost everyone in Kerala eats beef, whether Christian, Muslim or Hindu,” said Suraj Sudheer, a 24-year-old Kerala resident who works as a sub editor for a Malayalam news outlet in Kottayam, a Christian-majority city in the central state.
Has beef always been a part of Malayali cuisine?
“Historically, the number of strict vegetarians in Kerala was very limited. With the spread of modern culture, beef has become widely consumed across the state. While in earlier times it was prepared mainly by non-Hindus, today it has become a common part of Kerala kitchen,” said Sivadasan Mankada, professor of history at the University of Calicut.Kerala’s population consists of 54.73% Hindus, almost twice the number of Muslims. Beef consumption in the state has almost tripled Tamil Nadu And more than seven times that of Christian-majority Meghalaya official data.Historical accounts offer various accounts of how this particular dish became a central part of Kerala cuisine.“Meat also played a central role in rituals and festivals among the general public, including Hindus,” Mankada Said.“The food culture of Kerala has been predominantly non-vegetarian since ancient times. Fish and meat have always been integral parts of the diet, and eating meat has never been a subject of social conflict. Communities from Nairs on down traditionally consume a variety of meat. Hunting and capturing animals for food is an important part of Kerala’s culinary history,” he said.Another point of controversy in the trailer is the issue of ‘Love Jihad’ and conversion.
Is Kerala ‘sick’?
When Vipul Amrutlal Shah was asked whether the film aimed to spread hatred against Kerala, he said, “When you are sick, you should first accept that you are sick.”Arundhati said, “Malayalis are fine here. We are fine here. The way they have portrayed it (love jihad) is very wrong. We have overcome it.”
Then why is it called ‘Kerala’ story?
The makers of the film held a press conference where they brought out victims of “religious conversion”, none of whom were from Kerala.When asked by journalists he said that it was an “all India film”. Clarifying immediately thereafter, director Kamakhya Singh said: “It also pertains to Kerala and from Kerala, it is how it is all over India.”
The question arises why it has been named ‘Kerala Story’. Is it about creating a certain image of the state among North Indians rather than polarizing Kerala?Kerala film critic, journalist and educationist A. Chandrasekhar agrees.Chandrashekhar further said that the National Award winner story of keralaWhich initially claimed that there were 32,000 alleged forced conversions in the state, later revealed itself to be a fictional film, hence misleading. “We have only 3 recorded cases in India of girls from Kerala converting to Islam, who were taken to Syria and later recruited by IS,” he said.“Any kind of narrative like force feeding beef etc. does not happen in Kerala and such narratives cannot be tolerated even hypothetically as they are factually incorrect or fake. Therefore this film falls in the category of propaganda or misinformation.”The controversy surrounding The Kerala Story began with its central story, which portrays three women from Kerala as victims of so-called ‘love jihad’ and recruitment into extremist groups. The controversy was over the film’s teaser which claimed that 32,000 women from Kerala were radicalized and sent to Syria and Yemen. When questioned about the unverified and exaggerated allegations, he argued that it misrepresents the state and could fuel communal tension. Following backlash, the filmmakers clarified that the number was based on media reports, and later removed the specific figure from promotional materials.Questions about the accuracy of the film’s claims were further highlighted by official figures. Information obtained through an RTI from the Home Ministry revealed that between 2014 and 2020, the National Investigation Agency arrested 177 people across India in ISIS-related cases, of which 19 were from Kerala – figures that critics say are the exact opposite of what is suggested in the film, a report in News Minute said.The film received the National Award.“Last year the only Malayalam filmmaker included in the National Film Awards committee tried his best to convince the jury headed by Ashutosh Gowarikar that the plot described in Kerala Story 1 is absolutely baseless and based on a sporadic incident. He argued that if that film (which cinematically has a huge void in its visuals and editing) is selected for Best Film and Director, it would be insulting and would hurt the sentiments of the state, but even the Chairman was willing to accept it. Were not,” Chandrashekhar said.
‘Love Jihad’ debate
The teaser of the film begins with three women, initially Hindu at least in name, eventually wearing hijabs with facial scars, narrating about their horrific experiences of falling in love with Muslim boys.The message is clear – love jihad is a thing.He said on Love Jihad, “There came a phase in the lives of all of us about ten years ago, when we used to have conversations for a month.” He said that the conversations started from TV and social media where he said that “Love Jihad was happening. After that we never had that conversation.” “No one is worried about these things anymore,” Arundhati said.She further recalled a specific incident that her parents had used as an example to caution her. “One of our neighbors fell in love with a Muslim boy. She eloped with him. When they reached the boy’s house, he suddenly made her change her religion, threatening divorce. Her name was changed from Archana to Aashna,” she said, trying hard to remember the woman’s first name, describing how the woman was later forced by her in-laws to send her two sons to ‘Islamic schools’.A Calicut University history professor called ‘Love Jihad’ “an artificially constructed narrative designed to defame and weaken the overall culture of Kerala”.“The concept of ‘Love Jihad’ is an artificially created narrative designed to defame and undermine the overall culture of Kerala. In fact, the number of youth choosing partners across religious boundaries is continuously increasing across India. Kerala has often been a leader in supporting such interfaith marriages. The couples are free to live anywhere in the state, and the progressive-minded community continues to extend its support to them,” he said.Sanid Khader questioned the validity of this term. “Has any legitimate authority ever made any valid statement on the Love Jihad happening in Kerala based on figures and data? I don’t think so.. As far as I know, Love Jihad is a term invented by right wing Hindutva to terrorize the Muslim community.. There may have been some cases of forced conversion in cases of love marriage in Kerala. But the thing is that similar incidents have been happening all over India and it is not only Muslims who are behind these forced conversions.“Another term widely associated with film is publicity.Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap also rejected it as a propaganda film.
Is this a promotion?
Film critic Chandrashekhar said, “It is not like propaganda films like The Accidental Prime Minister or even Emergency, which were based on books written by people who knew the individuals involved in the stories closely.” He further said, “There is no concrete evidence or documentation to support the claims made by the films.”Propaganda is information, ideas, or messages that are spread to influence people’s opinions or beliefs, often by presenting only one side of an issue.It may use emotional language, selective facts or exaggeration to shape public perception. Propaganda is commonly used in politics, advertising, and media, and can sometimes omit balanced or opposing viewpoints.He highlighted that many recently released Malayalam films such as Puzhu, Bharat Circus etc. “have come out with fake and false stories from within the state blaming Hindus for Dalit oppression, putting the Hindutva movement on the defensive.” “We must understand that the opinions that apply to the Kerala story also apply to them,” he said.Speaking about intelligent propaganda, he said that films like “Akshay Kumar’s Gold, and Yami Gautam’s HAQ” “can be read as politically intelligent propaganda films against Pakistan/Islam”.
