Vipul Shah Calls Sudipto Sen’s Kerala Story 2 Script ‘Absolutely Trash’

The Kerala Story 2 was already fighting a High Court stay and a struggling box office run. Now its producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah has dropped a bigger bombshell — the original director Sudipto Sen did write a script for the sequel, but Vipul rejected it outright. In his own words: “absolutely trash.” The behind-the-scenes fallout is finally out in the open.

Vipul Shah Breaks Silence on Sudipto Sen’s WhatsApp Remark

Speaking to India Today, Vipul Shah did not hold back. He said Sen’s criticism of the sequel’s research was motivated by personal disappointment, calling it a classic case of “grapes are sour.”

However, the more explosive detail came right after. Vipul revealed that Sen had already written a script for The Kerala Story 2 — and that he had rejected it. “It was absolutely trash,” the producer said bluntly. “I did not want to make that film.”

What Sudipto Sen Had Actually Said

Earlier in the same publication, Sen had explained his decision to step back from the sequel. He pointed out that The Kerala Story’s first part was built on 10 years of personal research. Because of that, he said he could stand by every word and visual in the film.

For the sequel, which reportedly expands the story beyond Kerala, Sen said he couldn’t rely on “WhatsApp forwards or newspaper reports.” He stressed that sensitive subjects need deep, long-term research before a director can take moral responsibility for them. He later clarified that his remarks were misconstrued and said his research was simply limited to one region.

Producer Questions Sen’s Authority to Comment

Vipul’s sharpest counter was not the “trash” comment — it was this: Sen was never part of the research process for The Kerala Story 2. Therefore, Vipul argues, Sen simply has no basis to judge the sequel’s foundation.

“He doesn’t even know what research we have done,” Vipul said. In addition, the producer pointed out that he rarely responds to public criticism. This time, however, he felt directly attacked. “When somebody attacks my film, that is when I am compelled to react,” he added.

Legal Trouble and Box Office Reality

The film has faced challenges beyond this internal dispute. A plea to cancel its censor certificate led the Kerala High Court to stay the film’s release from February 27. Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas passed the interim order. However, a bench of Justices S. A. Dharmadhikari and P. V. Balakrishnan subsequently lifted the stay, and the film released as planned.

Directed by Kamakhya Narayan Singh and produced under Sunshine Pictures, The Kerala Story 2 stars Ulka Gupta, Aditi Bhatia, and Aishwarya Ojha. The film has collected ₹20.15 crore domestically so far — a steep drop compared to the original, which earned ₹302 crore worldwide.

A Sequel Struggling to Match Its Source

That box office gap is hard to ignore. The Kerala Story became a cultural and commercial phenomenon in 2023, largely because its emotional intensity felt grounded. Whether the sequel’s underperformance vindicates Sen’s concerns about research depth — or reflects something else entirely — is a question audiences are already answering at the ticket counter.

The Kerala Story 2 continues its theatrical run. The numbers, and the noise, will tell the rest of the story.