Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC defends The Kerala Story 2, claims film shows truth: ‘Not a campaign of misinformation’

Shaina NC of the Shiv Sena has backed the upcoming Hindi film, The Kerala Story 2, which is facing political backlash over depiction of forced conversion.

Published on: Feb 21, 2026, 08:37:36 IST

Written by Abhimanyu Mathur

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The upcoming Hindi film, The Kerala Story 2, under fire from political leaders over the depiction of forced conversion in Kerala, has received support from Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC. On Friday, Shaina NC defended the movie, stating it's not spreading misinformation.

Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC has defended The Kerala Story 2.

Shaina NC defends The Kerala Story 2

While speaking with ANI, the Shiv Sena leader claimed that, as shown in the film's recently released trailer, many girls in Kerala have been converted and urged people to look at both sides to maintain peace in society.

“The film Kerala Story 2 is not a campaign of misinformation. The truth is that many girls in Kerala have been converted... This becomes evident when you look at the case study of 32,000 girls... Highlighting this is the aim of this film. To those protesting against it, I would only say that if you want to maintain peace in society, you should look at both sides and understand what is actually happening in Kerala,” she said.

The trailer of The Kerala Story 2 has sparked controversy, with some calling it "brutal truth" and others labelling it "propaganda". The film explores themes of religious conversion and coercion, set in Kerala, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh. Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan has also slammed the film, as has religious body All India Muslim Jamaat. CM Vijayan said such a film could again try to create communal tension in the state.

Vipul Shah opens up on The Kerala Story 2

Amid the ongoing debate, the film's producer, Vipul Amrutlal Shah, has said that it does not target Kerala. “We're not after Kerala. Kerala is God's Country... We want this evil in that state to be eradicated as soon as possible,” he told ANI.

Shah also explained why the sequel carries the same title and how the story goes beyond one state. Speaking about the wider scope of the film, he said, “The Kerala Story 2 goes beyond Kerala and exposes the massive conspiracy of manipulative conversion going on throughout India. Because its central theme is the same as Kerala Story 1, we named it Kerala Story 2.”

Directed by Kamakhya Narayan Singh, The Kerala Story 2 is scheduled to release in theatres on February 27. It is a sequel to the 2023 film, The Kerala Story, which also courted controversy upon its release, but was eventually commercially successful, and won two National Film Awards. The new film has an entirely new cast and a new director.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Abhimanyu Mathur
Abhimanyu Mathur is Deputy Editor, Entertainment at Hindustan Times. With almost 15 years of experience in writing about everything from films and TV shows to cricket matches and elections, he inhales and exhales pop culture and news. Currently, he watches movies and TV shows and talks to celebrities for a living, while occasionally writing about them as well. A journalism graduate of Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, Delhi University, Abhimanyu began his career with Hindustan Times at the age of 20, swapping classrooms for newsrooms at an early age. He began his journey in the early days of digital journalism, later switching to the madness of print journalism. Work has led him to far off places like Japan and Jordan, as well as to the interiors of Haryana and the Indo-Pak border. He dabbled in city reporting in places like Meerut, Gurgaon, and Delhi, covered the Olympics and Cricket World Cups, before finding his calling in entertainment and lifestyle during the pandemic. A Rotten Tomatoes Certified Film Critic, he is equally at home covering stories on ground as he is interviewing celebrities and studios, and sometimes prefers to shepherd teams in delivering traffic through the day. Even as his role has evolved from reporter to supervisor over the years, his first love remains writing (and of late, talking on camera). With a good understanding of cinema and its trends, and a keen eye for detail, he continues to spark conversations around showbiz for readers around the world.Read More

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