Fresh off its teaser drop, ‘The Kerala Story 2’ is at the epicenter of a national uproar, blending Bollywood drama with real-world politics. Focused on love jihad and forced conversions, it’s praised by BJP as truth-telling and damned by foes as divisive propaganda warranting a ban.
Leading the charge for the film is BJP’s Shehzad Poonawalla, who accused Congress and leftists of double standards. ‘They celebrate anti-BJP movies but smother voices like this. The original exposed love jihad—courts agreed—yet they fought it. This sequel unmasks radical threats to women and security. Why suppress facts for appeasement politics?’ he fired.
UP minister Narendra Kashyap called it a vital check against forced conversions, antithetical to India’s ethos.
Opposition firebrands counter fiercely. Analyst Tehseen Poonawalla noted election-timed releases and the filmmakers’ court-admitted ISIS fable, urging caution despite anti-censorship stance. AP’s V. Gurunadham branded it a violence-inciter between Hindus and Muslims, purely vote-driven.
Congress’s Aradhana Mishra Mona seeks bans on all such sensitive content to prevent societal rifts. SP’s Sangram Singh taunted BJP’s failed bid to inflame UP with sectarianism.
The saga spotlights India’s complex media landscape, where films become political weapons. With legal scrutiny looming, ‘The Kerala Story 2’ tests constitutional freedoms, potentially redefining cinematic boundaries in a charged pre-election atmosphere.