The Kerala High Court has asked whether a screening of the upcoming Hindi film The Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond can be arranged before it decides on legal challenges to the film’s censor certificate, after finding that the teaser trailer appeared to misrepresent the state of Kerala.
During the hearing on February 24, a bench led by Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas reviewed excerpts from the film’s teaser and observed that the trailer seemed to portray Kerala inaccurately, suggesting social conditions that do not reflect the lived reality of the state. “Kerala lives in total harmony. But you have portrayed that this is happening all over Kerala,” the judge remarked, adding that such representation could incite passion and is an area where the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) must play its role.
The court noted that the title itself, The Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond, combined with a claim of being “inspired by true events”, might create misleading impressions about Kerala and potentially stoke communal tension. The bench said that while artistic freedom is generally protected, the concerns of people in Kerala about the film’s depiction “cannot be ignored”. It added that if the teaser content does not actually feature in the film, that fact should be clarified.
In response, those representing the film sought time to check when a screening before the court could be organised, and the judge said he would watch the film in the court chamber before finalising his decision. The matter will resume later in the day after the Centre provides instructions on arranging the screening.
The sequel, set for a February 27 release, has already drawn political and social backlash, with critics arguing that the trailer’s narrative — involving sensitive themes like alleged forced religious conversion — unfairly links these issues to Kerala.
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