Petition filed in HC to stall release of The Kerala Story 2 and cancellation of censor certificate; notices issued

Vipul Shah's upcoming film The Kerala Story 2 runs into legal trouble over a petition filed in Kerala High Court. A notice has been issued to the CBFC.

Kamakhya Narain Singh and Vipul Amrutlal Shah’s upcoming film, The Kerala Story 2, has run into legal trouble after a legal notice was filed in the Kerala High Court to stall its release and cancel its censor certificate. The petition was filed by a native of Kannur, and the HC has issued a notice to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) over it.

The Kerala Story 2 is scheduled to release in theatres on 27 February.

Petition filed in HC to stall The Kerala Story 2 release

The trailer for The Kerala Story 2 was recently released and drew criticism from Malayalis, including Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. According to ANI, a native of Chittariparamba, Kannur, named Sridev Namboothiri, filed the petition. The HC issued a notice to the CBFC, and producers Sunshine Pictures have also been directed to respond. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for February 24, and the film is slated for release on February 27.

Further details about the petition

According to Bar and Bench, the petition filed by Sridev alleges that The Kerala Story 2 portrays Kerala in an unfair manner and incites ‘communal and regional disharmony’ which could lead to law and other issues. The petitioner also challenged the certification granted to the sequel, arguing that the CBFC failed to properly assess the film's impact on ‘public order, decency and morality’ as required by law.

The petition states: “The petitioner apprehends that the upcoming movie will also create a law and order situation, as the teaser, in the end, gives a message ‘ab sahenge nahin… ladenge’ which translates to ‘we will not tolerate it anymore, but will fight’. This is precisely calling for action, which might invoke violence among the public. The trailer of the movie was released on 17.02.2026, which again tries to provoke sentiments of the general public in several spheres.”

The petition also objects to certain dialogues and themes in the promotional material. As per the petition, the teaser and trailer depict women from various states but level the narrative as ‘The Kerala Story’, associating terrorism and forced conversation with the southern state. The petition seeks quashing of the film certification and a stay on the film’s release until the title and story are revised, including the addition of disclaimers.

After the Kerala CM and others criticised The Kerala Story 2 producer Vipul was quoted by PTI as saying, “The movie is based on real-life stories. I want audiences to judge whether what we are showing is the truth or propaganda.” The first film also received similar criticism at the time of its release.