The Kerala Story 2 trailer: CM Pinarayi slams ‘propaganda’
Questioning the regulatory approach, the Chief Minister also asked how films allegedly aimed at spreading division and hostility are granted screening permission, while other works have faced restrictions in the past
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has launched a sharp attack on reports of a sequel to the controversial film The Kerala Story, alleging that the project is part of a sustained attempt to malign the state and erode its secular foundations.
The trailer of the proposed sequel (The Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond), marked by a melodramatic and overtly extremist portrayal of so-called “love jihad” and allegations of forced beef consumption attributed to the Muslim community, has triggered severe backlash across cyberspace, with critics accusing it of deliberately stoking communal hatred through sensationalism and distortion.
What CM said
In a strongly worded statement, the Chief Minister said the first film was packed with “manufactured lies, hate narratives and anti-Kerala propaganda” driven by sectarian objectives. He said the people of Kerala had already rejected the narrative and asserted the state’s social reality of communal harmony and coexistence.
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Vijayan accused forces aligned with the Sangh Parivar of backing and amplifying the film’s messaging, claiming they routinely portray even consensual interfaith relationships through the lens of coercion and communal conspiracy. He said such campaigns were designed to create suspicion and polarisation in a state historically marked by religious coexistence and the absence of large-scale communal riots.
Questioning the regulatory approach, the Chief Minister also asked how films allegedly aimed at spreading division and hostility are granted screening permission, while other works have faced restrictions in the past.
CM’s warning
He warned that attempts to depict Kerala as a breeding ground for extremism must be collectively resisted. Calling for vigilance, Vijayan urged citizens to counter misinformation with facts and to defend the state’s secular ethos and fraternal social fabric.
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“Kerala’s model of harmony and development cannot be dismantled through propaganda,” he said, asserting that the responsibility to uphold truth and secular values rests with every citizen.
The controversy has inevitably revived memories of the first part of The Kerala Story, which drew nationwide criticism for presenting unverified claims as fact and projecting Kerala as a hub of radicalisation. Despite objections from civil society groups, filmmakers, and sections of the media, the film was aggressively promoted by leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several BJP chief ministers publicly endorsed the film, with Modi urging people to watch it and describing it as an exposure of alleged “hidden truths”.
Social media flooded with criticism
With social media platforms flooded with criticism, many have warned that such portrayals threaten Kerala’s long-standing image as a society rooted in secularism, religious coexistence, and social stability, and called for greater scrutiny of films that blur the line between artistic expression and hate-driven misinformation.
That political backing received for part one of the film, critics argue, gave legitimacy to a narrative widely contested for factual inaccuracies and communal bias. The renewed outrage over the sequel’s trailer has once again raised questions about the use of cinema as a tool for ideological propaganda and the role of political patronage in amplifying divisive narratives.
