The release of The Kerala Story 2, scheduled for this Friday (February 27), may now be stalled. On Thursday afternoon, the eve of the film’s release, the Kerala High Court granted an interim stay on the film’s release, news agency PTI reported. The film’s makers have not responded to the development yet. The film had been accused of creating communal divide and depicting the state in a negative light.
The Kerala story 2 release stalled
The court was hearing a plea against the release of the film. Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas had, on Wednesday, remarked that the makers don’t seem to be keen on the Court watching the movie. “You are not keen that the Court should watch the movie. You want the issue to be decided on whether this petition is a private litigation or a public litigation,” the judge said.
The Kerala Story 2 controversy
The Kerala Story 2 explores themes of religious conversion and coercion, set across Kerala, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh. While the makers claim that the film is based on true cases, it has been mired in controversy ever since its trailer was released earlier this month.
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan criticised the film, calling it a ‘threat to secularism’. “We must collectively reject attempts to portray Kerala, a land of religious harmony that stands at the forefront of sustainable development and is a model in maintaining law and order, as a center of terrorism. It is the responsibility of each of us to ensure that Kerala’s secular foundation is not undermined by false propaganda and to reject it by upholding the values of secularism and brotherhood,” Vijayan said in a statement on Wednesday.
The film’s makers have maintained that the film is not against the state. Producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah had earlier said, “We’re not after Kerala. Kerala is God’s Country… We want this evil in that state to be eradicated as soon as possible.”
All about The Kerala Story 2
Sequel to the controversial but commercially successful The Kerala Story, the film was cleared for release by the CBFC last week with a U/A certificate. In a statement to HT, Vipul Shah had said, “Our objective has always been awareness, to inform, and to empower young minds to stay alert and make informed choices.”
Starring Ulka Gupta, Aditi Bhatia, and Aishwarya Ojha, the film was set to release in cinemas on February 27.
