After much back and forth, a late-night High Court hearing, and a dramatic reversal of a stay on release, The Kerala Story 2 finally hit the screens on Saturday, one day after its scheduled release date. The buzz the film generated through controversy over the last two weeks had convinced many of its potential to open well at the box office, just as its predecessor had. However, upon release, the film’s fate tells a rather different story.
The Kerala Story 2 box office prediction
The Kerala Story 2 released in theatres on Saturday, 28 February, after the Kerala High Court lifted the stay on its release. The film’s start has not been as per expectations, with morning shows across India registering just 6-7% occupancy. According to trade insiders, The Kerala Story 2 is looking at a day 1 domestic business of ₹3-3.5 crore. Optimistic estimates say the film may cross ₹4 crore if the word of mouth is positive. Morning show collections are aligning with predictions. Sacnilk has reported that the film has earned just ₹41 lakh across India by 1 PM.
The first film had grown steadily over the first two weeks, and the makers would hope that the sequel could replicate that success if it had to repeat its box office achievements.
The Kerala Story 2 compared with part 1
The Kerala Story 2 explores forced religious conversions across various parts of India. The makers say that, like the first part, the film is based on true cases. The first film, released in 2023, also battled legal cases and calls for a ban over allegations of creating a communal divide. Eventually, it released in theatres on 5 May 2023, earning ₹8.10 crore net domestically on its first day. As things stand, The Kerala Story 2 may struggle to make even half of that. The first film was a commercial success, earning ₹303 crore gross worldwide.
About The Kerala Story 2
Directed by Kamakhya Narayan Singh and produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah, The Kerala Story 2 stars Ulka Gupta, Aditi Bhatia and Aishwarya Ojha. The film was set to release on Friday, but was stalled after a single-judge bench of the Kerala High Court granted an interim stay on its release on Thursday. On Friday, a division bench of Justices SA Dharmadhikari and PV Balakrishnan stayed the interim order that had stayed the film’s release for 15 days, paving the way for its release on Saturday.
