Kerala Audiences Reject ‘Kerala Story 2’; Shows Canceled Due to No Viewers

Thiruvananthapuram: Secular Kerala turns its back on hate film: no one wants to watch Kerala Story 2, which portrays Kerala and the Muslim community in a negative light. Movie shows were canceled in various places in Kerala due to lack of audience.

The show scheduled at 10:10 AM in Kochi’s Marad Mall saw no attendees, neither ticket holders in person nor online bookings and was therefore canceled. A similar situation occurred in Kozhikode, and other theaters showing the film reported only nominal bookings.

Although a High Court single bench had initially stayed the release of the film, deeming it hateful, a division bench later granted permission after considering the producer’s petition. The single bench had stayed the release for 15 days, stating that the content of the film was detrimental to communal harmony and that the Censor Board had issued the certificate without complying with central government norms prohibiting hate speech.

A bench comprising Justices Susruth Aravind Darmadikari and P. V. Balakrishnan lifted the stay on Friday following an appeal filed by the film’s producer, Vipul Amritlal Shah. The division bench stated that the release of the film cannot be stopped based solely on clips and that the entire film must be viewed first, especially since a Censor Board certificate had been obtained. The court clarified that a film cannot be banned merely on the grounds that it may lead to law and order issues, emphasising that it is the state’s responsibility to handle such situations. The Censor Board had also made the necessary edits as per its recommendations.

The petition will be reconsidered on March 13. Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas, who heard the case on Thursday afternoon, noted that banning the film’s release, along with naming it Kerala Story, could convey the wrong message. After initially blocking the exhibition, the division bench considered the producer’s appeal through a special sitting late at night.