A political controversy has erupted in Kerala over the release of the upcoming Hindi film The Kerala Story 2 Goes Beyond, the sequel to a film from the same franchise that revolves around the recurring theme of ‘Love Jihad’ — a bogey propagated by right-wing organisations alleging that Muslim men lure Hindu and Christian women into marriage and force them to convert to Islam.
The ruling CPI(M) and the Opposition Congress in Kerala have dubbed it a “propaganda” project aimed at defaming the state.
The film, which claims to be “inspired by many true events,” is produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah and directed by Kamakhya Narayan Singh. The trailer, released two days ago, shows three Hindu women from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Kerala being deceived by Muslim men into marrying them with the intent of converting them to Islam and sexually exploiting them. The film carries forward the same ‘Love Jihad’ narrative as its predecessor.
The trailer opens with the dialogue: “God willing, in the next 25 years, India will be converted into an Islamic State; and Sharia law will be enforced across the country.”
In one of the scenes that has triggered outrage among Malayalees, a Kerala woman is shown being restrained by her in-laws and husband while beef is forcibly shoved into her mouth.
In a statement, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan questioned how films that “promote division and hatred” are granted screening permission.
He alleged that the film is being propagated by the Sangh Parivar. “Those who fear Kerala’s model, which upholds fraternity and secularism, are behind these continuous campaigns of hatred. The derogatory and fabricated narrative titled Kerala Story was taken up and propagated by Sangh Parivar centres,” he said.
Responding to the narrative of ‘Love Jihad’, he said that even consensual marriages are being falsely portrayed as instances of communal conspiracy and forced religious conversion. “They view with hostility a Kerala where there are no communal riots and where people of all faiths coexist with mutual respect,” he said.
He also questioned how the film could receive CBFC certification when another film could not be screened at the Kerala Film Festival simply because it had “Beef” in its title.
The Chief Minister said the state must collectively oppose attempts to brand Kerala as a centre of extremism. “Kerala is our pride. Truth must prevail over falsehood,” he added.
Joining in condemning the film, Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan said that the attempt to divide Kerala along religious lines is “absolutely ridiculous.” “Such films are propaganda — not the real story of Kerala, a land known for harmony, unity, and coexistence,” he said.
Critics say the sequel repeats and intensifies earlier claims about forced conversions and terrorism, triggering fresh outrage in the state.
The trailer leans heavily on sensational visuals, depicting unverified claims of forced conversions, radicalisation, and sexual exploitation with dark, alarmist overtones. It concludes with the words: “Before your daughter becomes their next target.”
Following the Chief Minister’s criticism against the film, director Kamakhya Narayan Singh, in an interview with Asianet News, claimed that the film portrays “the truth of the nation.” He asserted that ‘Love Jihad’ is occurring across the country on a “larger scale” and cited news reports and court judgments in support of his claims. He said news reports were the primary source for the film’s narrative.
Responding to a question about the controversial scene of forcefully feeding beef, Kamakhya said: “We have read a lot of news. Forcefully eating beef [has been happening]. Forceful beef eating is a very different thing. If somebody doesn’t want to eat it and you are making that person eat beef… that is wrong. I don’t make films to create controversy, but to unveil the truth and make people aware of what is happening in society” (sic).
Suspicions over the film’s timing
The Kerala Story 2 Goes Beyond is scheduled to release on February 27. The timing of the release has also raised questions, as the state is set to go to elections in a couple of months.
The first part of the film, released in 2023, became part of the broader political discourse during the Karnataka Assembly elections, as the Bharatiya Janata Party positioned its campaign around the issue of terrorism, religious conversion and ‘Love Jihad’.
None other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a reference of the film during his election campaign in Karnataka’s Ballari. “The Kerala Story is based on this form of terrorism and has generated extensive discussion. It reflects what is described as the mindset of terrorist groups. These developments are said to be taking place in Kerala, a state known for its hardworking and skilled people. The film exposes a terrorist conspiracy operating there. It is unfortunate that the Congress appears to be standing with such groups,” he had said.
The teaser of The Kerala Story had made a sensational claim that 32,000 women from Kerala had been converted to Islam and recruited by Islamic terrorist group ISIS. After the claim was legally challenged, the makers withdrew the figure and modified the film’s description to “inspired by true events.”