Thiruvananthapuram: The political controversy surrounding the film “The Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond” is growing. Kerala’s Left government and the opposition Congress party have expressed concern over the film’s upcoming release. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that the first part of the film played a role in spreading hatred against the state. He said that the film weakened the state’s secular traditions.
A statement issued by the Chief Minister’s office questioned how toxic films designed to spread division and hatred in society were allowed to be screened, while a film like “Beef” was banned even at film festivals. The Chief Minister targeted the RSS. He said that Sangh Parivar centers amplified the false narrative propagated by “The Kerala Story.” The Chief Minister said, “They are spreading false propaganda by presenting even consensual marriages as examples of communalism and forced conversions.”
He further said, “It is the responsibility of each one of us to ensure that Kerala’s secular foundations are not weakened by false propaganda and to reject them while upholding the values of secularism and brotherhood.”
The Chief Minister said, “Kerala is a leading state in sustainable development indices. A paragon of law and order and a land of communal harmony, attempts to portray it as a hotbed of terrorism must be unanimously rejected. It is the responsibility of all of us to prove that Kerala’s secular foundations will not be shattered by false propaganda. We must firmly uphold facts and the values of secularism and brotherhood, while vehemently rejecting hate campaigns. Kerala is our pride. Truth must triumph over lies, and we must unite for this purpose.”
The Congress Party has also targeted the BJP and RSS over the film. Party General Secretary KC Venugopal said that the film relies on fabricated stories and is promoting the forced feeding of beef in Kerala. He called it an insult to the state.
Referring to the film’s trailer, Alappuzha MP Venugopal alleged that it was a “planned ploy” to create global misconceptions about the state.
The Congress leader said that the BJP government deliberately secured awards for the first part of “The Kerala Story” to gain political advantage. Venugopal said that the first part of the film was also based on lies. The first film, “The Kerala Story,” won the Best Direction and Best Cinematography awards at the 71st National Film Awards.
Venugopal argued in his post, “The Central Government’s official recognition and promotion of fake works that mock the entire state is a threat to democracy itself. Such lies, sponsored by the Sangh Parivar, cannot break the secular mindset of Kerala.”
The second part of the film is directed by Kamakhya Narayan Singh. Its teaser has been released.
Critics of the film argue that it aims to destroy Kerala’s secular tradition and communal harmony and is an attempt to marginalize the entire Muslim community. Opposition parties, including the Congress, also said that the Kerala depicted in the film is not the real Kerala and that it distorts the social conditions of the state.
Critics believe that the film is an attempt to emotionally exploit facts and defame Kerala for political gain. In one scene in the trailer, a girl is forcibly fed beef. This was widely ridiculed on social media, saying that it is contrary to the reality of Kerala and an attempt to insult Kerala’s food culture, where people of all religions eat beef. Trollers also asked, “Are you serving beef without parotta?”
