Amid the growing controversy over the release of The Kerala Story 2, the film’s producer, Vipul Amrutlal Shah, has filed a counter-affidavit opposing the Kerala High Court’s direction for a screening.
In his submission, Shah argued that the Kerala High Court should not exercise its oversight powers to watch and evaluate the film. He stated that the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) is the only authority empowered to examine films and grant certification.
Shah further submitted that the film had already been reviewed by experts before permission for screening was granted and that they were satisfied with the story. He also emphasised that The Kerala Story 2 received clearance from the CBFC after following all constitutional procedures.
The producer told the court that the film cannot be stayed unless there is a major error in the CBFC’s decision. He also underlined that halting the release would lead to significant financial losses.
On Tuesday, the Kerala High Court had directed the makers to arrange a screening of the Hindi film in Kochi before its scheduled release on Friday, February 27. Earlier, the makers had also dismissed reports claiming that the teaser was removed following court intervention.
Sunshine Pictures, in a statement, said, “We would like to clearly state that the reports currently circulating about the removal of the teaser of The Kerala Story 2 – Goes Beyond are completely false, baseless and misleading. The matter is currently sub judice. No court has passed any order or direction to remove any content. We have not deleted or taken down any material.”
The Kerala Story 2 is the sequel to the National Award-winning The Kerala Story, which was released in 2023. The film is based on the lives of three young women who, as depicted in the film, fall into deceptive marriages and allegedly face forced religious conversion.
Since the trailer launch, The Kerala Story 2 has drawn strong reactions. Opposition leaders, celebrities and several social media users have criticised it as “propaganda”, while the makers maintain that it is based on researched real-life events.
