Published Feb 19, 2026 | 6:47 PM ⚊ Updated Feb 19, 2026 | 6:47 PM
A poster of Kerala Story 2.
Synopsis: Major political parties, barring the BJP, have come out against the movie, Kerala Story 2: Going Beyond, even before it hit the screens. Those opposing the trailer — and the movie — felt it makes a deliberate attempt to spread hatred and divide society by employing false narratives about Kerala.
The Hindi film, Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond, has set off a political and cultural firestorm in poll-bound Kerala, even before its scheduled release on 27 February.
Its trailer — pitched as a broader, more combative sequel to the 2023 film — has triggered sharp reactions from ruling and Opposition leaders, reopened familiar fault lines over the so-called “love jihad” narratives, and drawn legal scrutiny over its certification.
In a state heading towards Assembly elections, the timing has only amplified the stakes.
On social media, however, the fiercest early battle has played out through trolls and memes, particularly over a brief scene touching on beef consumption.
Clips from the trailer have been sliced into viral reels, satirical posters and biting one-liners, with netizens mocking what they call caricatured and false portrayals of Kerala’s social life.
As the hashtag wars intensified and political leaders traded accusations, the sequel has already achieved what its makers perhaps anticipated: a charged debate that stretches far beyond the screen.
The proposed release of the second part of The Kerala Story has triggered sharp political reactions across the state, reopening ideological fault lines that surfaced during the first instalment.
Kerala CM’s post on Kerala Story 2
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, on 18 February, said the news of a sequel must be taken seriously, describing the first film as one “filled with unadulterated lies, hatred and anti-Kerala propaganda.”
He argued that the earlier work was rejected as a distorted portrayal of the state’s secular traditions and communal harmony.
The chief minister alleged that forces aligned with the Sangh Parivar were attempting to project Kerala as a hub of extremism by recycling narratives around forced religious conversion and “love jihad,” even in cases of consensual interfaith marriages.
He questioned how films aimed at spreading division were permitted while other works faced restrictions over minor issues.
Cultural Affairs Minister Saji Cherian echoed a similar view on Thursday, 19 February, asserting that the sequel would “also fail” just as the first part did. He maintained that attempts to defame Kerala stemmed from jealousy over the state’s secular achievements, democratic culture and development model.
Earlier, on 31 January, reacting to the teaser, Cherian had accused the makers of fuelling communal polarisation and pushing narratives already dismissed by investigative agencies and courts.
He stressed that freedom of expression cannot become a pretext to divide society.
The Congress, too, mounted strong opposition to the film.
AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal termed the sequel a calculated attempt to spread misinformation about Kerala globally.
K C Venugopal’s post on Kerala Story 2
He criticised “fabricated” claims in the first part and objected to scenes in the trailer that allegedly portrayed the state in a communally divisive light.
Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala said Kerala would reject efforts to undermine its centuries-old secular and humanistic ethos.
He alleged that the second instalment appeared designed to intensify hatred and religious communalism beyond the first. He also warned against branding love between two individuals in communal colours and trapping them in false allegations to divide society. Malayalis would firmly reject attempts to sow hatred, he said.
BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar defended the film’s right to be made and viewed.
He accused the chief minister of opposing the sequel to divert attention from governance failures and argued that any objections should be addressed legally, not politically.
The Kerala High Court on 19 February issued a notice to the film producers in response to a writ petition challenging the certification granted to it by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas directed that the filmmakers be heard on the matter.
The petition raised objections to the teaser and trailer, which apparently portrayed women from different states allegedly being enticed into relationships and coerced into religious conversion.
Although the storyline seemed to span multiple regions, the petitioner argued that the title singled out Kerala, thereby linking the state with allegations of extremism, forced conversion and demographic conspiracy.
The closing slogan in the teaser, “Ab sahenge nahin… ladenge”, has also been cited as potentially inflammatory.
At the centre of the dispute is whether the CBFC adequately applied Section 5B of the Cinematograph Act, 1952, which prohibits certification of films that may threaten public order or incite offences.
The plea recalled the controversy around the 2023 film, The Kerala Story, where the producers agreed before the Supreme Court to include a disclaimer clarifying the fictionalised nature of certain claims.
The petitioner contended that similar caution was warranted here, especially given concerns about communal harmony, regional dignity and constitutional limits under Article 19(2).
The court will further hear the matter on Tuesday.
As discussions gathered pace around the proposed release of The Kerala Story 2, questions were being raised about whether the Kerala government could legally intervene, particularly because the film allegedly defamed the state.
Former Director General of Prosecutions T Asaf Ali told South First that the scope for such legal action appeared limited. He cautioned that any attempt by the state to challenge the film could invite scrutiny under the constitutional guarantee of freedom of speech and expression.
Meanwhile, state Law Department officials clarified that they were not in a position to comment, adding that any decision on legal recourse would ultimately rest with the government.
Within political circles, there appeared to be no unified stand yet.
A senior KPCC member said the party has not formally deliberated on the issue, suggesting that engaging with the controversy might only hand the film additional publicity.
He said those familiar with Kerala would see through the attempts to tarnish the state’s image. He also questioned the role of certification authorities in clearing such films.
SFI national president Adarsh M Saji termed the sequel an effort to spread divisive propaganda.
Emphasising Kerala’s achievements in literacy, social development, and secular values, he argued that the state’s inclusive fabric was being deliberately targeted.
Social activist Rahul Easwar, too, dismissed the film’s claims as fabricated and inflammatory, calling it a calculated attempt to sow mistrust and communal tension under the guise of storytelling.
At the same time, the teaser of The Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond has set off a fresh wave of online mockery in Kerala, with one particular scene stealing the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
A troll on Kerala Story 2.
In the clip, a woman was shown forced to eat beef — a moment that many Malayalis dismissed as exaggerated, culturally misplaced and unintentionally comic.
Across YouTube and social media comment sections and Instagram reels, the response has been laced with biting humour rather than outrage.
“Which parallel-universe Kerala is this?” one user asked, while another quipped that perhaps the woman was upset because the beef came without porotta, the favourite combination for Malayalis.
Several comments leaned into the state’s well-known culinary habits, pointing out that beef has been widely eaten across communities, often celebrated in films and food vlogs alike.
Others poked fun at the dramatic framing of the sequence, sarcastically predicting National Award glory for what they saw as overwrought storytelling.
A few wondered aloud about the geography of the imagined Kerala, saying the depiction felt alien to their lived reality.
Recipe for happiness.
There were also tongue-in-cheek remarks about soaring meat prices — suggesting no one would “waste” beef by force-feeding it — and playful culinary critiques about missing coconut bits in the curry.
Kerala Tourism, too, joined in with a poster, revealing Kerala’s “recipe for happiness”.
In a state where beef and porotta have long crossed religious and social lines, many viewers said the controversy feels less like provocation and more like parody — one that social media has happily embraced with meme-worthy enthusiasm.
(Sreelakshmi Soman contributed to the report. Edited by Majnu Babu).
