‘The Kerala Story 2 Goes Beyond’ is stuck in legal troubles and political criticism. At the same time, its prequel ‘The Kerala Story’ also faced a difficult journey. Released on May 5, 2023, ‘The Kerala Story’ is directed by Sudipto Sen and stars Adah Sharma in the lead role. Controversy arose as soon as the teaser of this film was released, but after its release in theaters, it won the hearts of the audience and proved to be a very successful film at the box office in the country and around the world.
Why was there a dispute
The initial promotional material of ‘The Kerala Story’ claimed that ISIS had trafficked 32,000 women from Kerala. This was a figure that was widely criticized because it was truly misleading. Critics accused the film of pushing a narrative about religious conversion, “love jihad” and recruitment into ISIS, which they said promotes Islamophobia and pushes a divisive political agenda.
There was a demand to ban
After this, legal petitions were quickly filed against ‘The Kerala Story’ in the Supreme Court of India, Madras High Court and Kerala High Court demanding a ban, saying that the film could disturb communal harmony. Although the court had refused to stay its release, the makers of the film were directed to remove promotional references to the figure of Rs 32,000 and make changes in the trailer.
West Bengal government had banned the film
The biggest action came from West Bengal. In May 2023, Mamata Banerjee’s government banned the film under the West Bengal Cinema Regulation Act, calling it “hate speech” and citing intelligence reports warning of potential law and order issues. However, the ban was later stayed by the Supreme Court, which called it excessive and issued notices to West Bengal and Tamil Nadu on their arguments. The Top Court had also ordered to add two disclaimers. One makes it clear that the film is a fictional story, and the other says that there is no evidence to support the claim of 32,000 religious conversions.
Performance in Tamil Nadu was poor due to protests
In Tamil Nadu, the multiplex association had stopped the screening citing law and order concerns. However, the makers of the film accused him of political censorship. The film also faced opposition in Kerala and Tamil Nadu and performed poorly in Tamil Nadu.
Blockbuster at the box office despite protests
The Kerala Story faced a lot of opposition but despite this, it grossed over Rs 300 crore at the box office, becoming one of the most commercially successful films of the year. It was also given tax-free status in states like Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh. Let us tell you that its estimated budget was said to be around Rs 15 to 20 crores and after adding promotions, this figure reached Rs 30 crores. In comparison, the film had earned around Rs 240 to 245 crore nett in India and more than Rs 300 crore nett worldwide. .
The Kerala Story won two National Awards
This controversy did not end with its theatrical run. When The Kerala Story won two awards at the 71st National Film Awards in 2025, Best Director for Sudipto Sen and Best Cinematography for Prashanthu Mohapatra, political reactions came to the fore again. The feature film jury, headed by Ashutosh Gowarikar, defended this decision. Responding to questions on the cinematography award, Gowariker had told NDTV, “One is the cinematography award. The cinematography in ‘The Kerala Story’ was very clean and original. It never tried to dominate the story. The pictures were made within the scope of things. So, we appreciated it.”
On winning the Best Director award, he said, “This is a difficult topic and to explain it so clearly that as a jury we felt the need to appreciate it.”
CM criticized Jaan who gave award to The Kerala Story
However, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan criticized the honour, calling the film an example of misinformation and alleging that recognizing it was an insult to the secular tradition of Indian cinema. Opposition leader VD Satheesan and Congress MP KC Venugopal also raised similar concerns, and alleged political discrimination in the awards process. While both the ruling Left Democratic Front and the opposition United Democratic Front opposed the recognition, the Bharatiya Janata Party supported it, with actor-politician Prakash Raj also criticizing the jury’s decision.
Controversy is also happening on The Kerala Story 2
Almost three years later, history seems to be repeating itself. ‘The Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond’, directed by Kamakhya Narayan Singh and produced by Vipul Amritlal Shah, is scheduled to release on February 27, 2026. Yet, like its previous films, it has also been mired in controversy even before it hit the theatres. CM Pinarayi Vijayan has described the sequel as “false propaganda” and “poisonous”. A biologist has filed a petition in the Kerala High Court to challenge its release. The petition alleges that the film contains “false and stereotypical projections that defame the entire state without any basis.” At present, Kerala High Court has put a stay on its release till the decision is taken.
