After a dramatic 24 hours of legal uncertainty, The Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond is finally set to reach cinemas.
On Friday afternoon, the Kerala High Court lifted the interim stay that had briefly halted the film’s release, clearing the way for it to open in theatres as scheduled on 27 February.
The decision came from a Division Bench comprising Justice SA Dharmadhikari and Justice PV Balakrishnan, who set aside an earlier order by Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas.
Just a day earlier, Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas had paused the release for 15 days while hearing petitions that raised concerns about the film’s content.
According to PTI, Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas had observed that there appeared, prima facie, to be non-application of mind by the Central Board of Film Certification while granting the film approval.
The producers moved quickly, appealing the order and prompting the High Court to convene a special evening sitting at 7.30 pm on Thursday.
The hearing reportedly lasted over two hours. As Bar and Bench noted, the Bench reserved its verdict that night and delivered its ruling around 4 pm IST on Friday, bringing relief to the filmmakers.
At the heart of the dispute are fears that the film could misrepresent Kerala and heighten communal tensions. One of the petitions was filed by Kannur resident Sreedev Namboodiri, who argued that the sequel’s title and promotional material — including the teaser and trailer — contain themes that could incite unrest and cast the state in a negative light. He objected in particular to the teaser’s closing line, “ab sahenge nahin… ladenge” (we will not tolerate it anymore, we will fight), suggesting it might be perceived as a call to confrontation.
Another petitioner, Freddie V Francis, challenged the use of “Kerala” in the title and sought a ban on the film. He described the project as ‘marketing of hate’ and questioned the claim that it is based on true events, according to Bar and Bench.
Producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah, however, maintained that the pleas were “premature, misconceived and not maintainable,” as reported by PTI.
Interestingly, the state government informed the Kerala High Court that ticket bookings had continued despite the stay — a sign of the strong reactions and curiosity the film has already generated.
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