The trailer dropped. The politicians reacted. The protests began. And The Kerala Story 2 hasn’t even hit theatres yet.
With its February 27 release just days away, the film is already dominating headlines — not for its performances or its production scale, but for the storm it has deliberately walked into.
Shaina NC Steps Into the Debate
Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC publicly backed The Kerala Story 2 on Friday. Speaking to ANI, she said the film “is not a campaign of misinformation.” She urged critics to look at both sides before protesting.
“The truth is that many girls in Kerala have been converted,” she told ANI. “Highlighting this is the aim of this film. To those protesting against it — if you want to maintain peace in society, you should look at both sides.”
She also referenced a figure of 32,000 girls she claimed have been converted in Kerala. That number is a politically circulated claim. No government body has verified it. Its repeated use in this debate tells you more about the film’s political framing than about Kerala’s ground reality.
What Most Coverage Is Missing
Here is what other portals won’t tell you.
Most entertainment news sites will cover this story as a simple quote-reaction piece — politician speaks, opposition pushes back, repeat. That framing misses the bigger picture entirely.
The Kerala Story (2023) faced bans in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. Courts overturned both. The film went on to gross over ₹230 crore worldwide and won two National Film Awards. Every ban attempt, every protest, every political statement against it functioned as free advertising.
The Kerala Story 2 is now running the same play. Whether that is strategic or simply inevitable — given the subject matter — is the one question nobody in this debate stops to ask.
Who Is Opposing the Film
The opposition is organised and vocal.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has condemned the film. He warned it could “again try to create communal tension in the state.” The All India Muslim Jamaat has also spoken out against it.
The trailer has split audiences sharply. Some call it a “brutal truth.” Others label it outright propaganda. There is almost no middle ground — and that polarisation keeps the film trending.
CM Vijayan’s use of the word “again” is worth noting. He is not just reacting to this film. He is referencing a pattern. And that pattern is exactly what makes The Kerala Story 2 a bigger story than a standard Bollywood release.
What the Film Actually Claims
The Kerala Story 2 expands its scope well beyond Kerala. The film explores what it frames as a nationwide network of coercive religious conversion. It is set across Kerala, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh.
Director Kamakhya Narayan Singh takes over from the original’s Sudipto Sen. The entire cast is also new. This is unusual for a sequel — most franchises carry their lead actors forward. The filmmakers made a deliberate choice to start fresh while keeping the brand name intact.
That decision is commercially smart. The Kerala Story title carries instant recognition. It also carries instant controversy. Both sell tickets.
Producer Vipul Shah’s Careful Words
Producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah has been precise in how he talks about the film publicly.
“We’re not after Kerala. Kerala is God’s Country,” he told ANI. It is a line that sounds warm. It also works as pre-emptive damage control — distancing the production from any accusation of regional targeting.
He also explained the naming decision directly. “The Kerala Story 2 goes beyond Kerala and exposes the massive conspiracy of manipulative conversion going on throughout India. Because its central theme is the same as Kerala Story 1, we named it Kerala Story 2.”
The brand stays. The geography expands. The controversy travels with it.
The Playbook Nobody Wants to Name
This is the detail that matters most — and most outlets will bury it or skip it entirely.
The original Kerala Story did not succeed despite its controversy. It succeeded because of it. The bans created national curiosity. The political battles drove people to theatres out of defiance, solidarity, or simple FOMO. The film became a cultural flashpoint before audiences even watched it.
The Kerala Story 2 now has a sitting Chief Minister attacking it, a national religious body opposing it, and a Shiv Sena leader defending it — all before the opening weekend. That is not a PR crisis. That is a PR campaign.
The franchise has found a formula. Controversial subject. Political heat. Righteous producer statements. Supportive political voices. Repeat.
It worked once. It grossed ₹230 crore and won national awards. The only real question now is whether Indian audiences — and the political class — have noticed the pattern yet.
Release Date and What to Watch
The Kerala Story 2 releases in theatres on February 27. Watch for two things in the coming days — any state government moves toward a ban, and the opening weekend numbers.
If history repeats, those two data points will tell the same story.
