The legal woes surrounding the film ‘Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond’ intensified after the Kerala High Court issued an urgent notice to producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah on June 18. A new petition has challenged the film’s certification and demanded that the word ‘Kerala’ be removed from its title.Hearing the matter, Justice BV Konnikrishnan questioned the relevance of the case at this stage, pointing out that the film had already been released and seen by a large number of people. However, the petitioner’s lawyer, Shilson Chembarathi, said the case remains important, especially because of the film’s digital release. As Live Law reports, the court chose to adjourn arguments on whether the petition should be dismissed, despite objections raised by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).‘Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond’ hit theaters on February 27 after a high court lifted an earlier interim order on its release. While the initial appeals against the film were ultimately dismissed, the Supreme Court last week formally closed the remaining appeals filed by both the central government and the producer, declaring them futile.The Union government and the CBFC had previously approached the appellate court after a single-judge bench decided that the petitioners had the right to challenge the release of the film through legal proceedings.
Although those appeals were dismissed, the court deliberately left unanswered a larger legal question—whether private litigants could challenge a film’s certification on the grounds that it harmed a state’s reputation.In an earlier hearing, the lawyer representing producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah strongly defended the film and said the petition “should be condemned”. Despite this stance, the latest petition cites Sections 196, 197 and 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Act, alleging that the film encourages hostility between religious and regional groups, threatens national integration and deliberately insults religious beliefs in a way that disturbs public harmony.After the film’s release on May 1, the petitioner also sought addition of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited as a party in the case. The petition includes additional materials, such as a complaint sent to Zee Entertainment’s Content Grievance Redressal Officer and several screenshots on social media. According to the petition, these online posts present the film’s narrative as factual and are being used to spread hate speech against the people of Kerala and minority communities.With the Supreme Court now seeking a response from the producer, the legal battle has entered a new phase. The court is expected to consider multiple aspects of the controversy, including the film’s title, CBFC certification, OTT release and newly submitted digital evidence.Directed by Kamakhya Narayan Singh and produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah under Sunshine Pictures, ‘Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond’ follows the journey of three young women portrayed by Ulka Gupta, Aditi Bhatia and Aishwarya Ojha.
