High Court Sends Notice to ‘The Kerala Story 2’ Makers Ahead of Release

The Kerala High Court on Thursday issued notices to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), and the producer of The Kerala Story 2 – Goes Beyond on a petition seeking to stay the film’s release.

The plea was filed by Sreedev Namboodiri, a biologist, who argued that the teaser of the film portrays Kerala in a negative light and could potentially disturb public order.

According to the petition, the teaser depicts three women from Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan who allegedly fall into the trap of terrorists who “weaponise romance” to convert unmarried girls and alter the country’s demography. The petitioner contended that certain dialogues and themes in the teaser have the potential to create communal tension and law-and-order issues.

While the storyline references multiple states, the plea argues that the title — The Kerala Story 2 – Goes Beyond — creates the impression that the events are specific to Kerala, thereby risking stigma against the state and its people.

The petitioner submitted that such a portrayal could incite communal and regional disharmony. He has sought either an interim stay on the film’s release, scheduled for February 27, 2026, or a direction to the Centre to consider and decide his revision petition within a time-bound framework. He has also requested that the release be kept on hold until a decision is taken.