The Kerala Story 2 Trailer Ignites Legal and Cultural Firestorm
The trailer for Kerala Story 2 opens with a provocative declaration: "Insha Allah, in the next 25 years, India will be an Islamic state under Sharia law." It asserts that the film is "based on many true events," immediately capturing attention. However, this bold start has reignited a familiar and contentious debate, plunging the sequel into legal turmoil even before its release.
Legal Challenges and State Portrayal Concerns
The Kerala High Court has raised significant objections, flagging the trailer's "wrong portrayal" of Kerala and warning it could "incite passion." During a hearing on a petition against the film, the court remarked, "Kerala lives in total harmony. But you have portrayed that this is happening all over Kerala." This judicial intervention underscores the film's controversial nature, prompting questions about its accuracy and intent.
Anitha, a journalist from Kerala, encapsulates the sentiment by stating, "Everything" is wrong with The Kerala Story. She adds, "Not all girls wear jasmine flower," reflecting on her experience with the first film. Despite the movie being unreleased, the trailer and teaser have already led many Malayalis to doubt the authenticity of scenes and the broader narrative, extending the controversy beyond cinema into politics, law, and public perception.
Beef Feeding Scene and Cultural Authenticity
One of the most criticized elements is a scene depicting forced beef feeding. In the trailer, a woman is restrained while someone shoves beef into her mouth as she screams, "Mar jaaongi par kabhi beef nahi khaaongi." Director Kamakhya Singh defends this, claiming it highlights "religious conversions" through forced consumption. However, social media reactions have been skeptical, with jokes about the missing parotta, a staple in Kerala cuisine.
Saneed Khader, a 26-year-old Keralite, remarks, "Yeah, once you taste beef, you don't want to go back to a life where beef is prohibited. It's that tasty especially, with a hot fluffy porotta." Another Malayali, now in Bengaluru, notes, "I have never met one Malayali who went eeeeewwhhh on beef. It was always 'let's go have beef parotta'." Sooraj Sudhir, a sub-editor in Kottayam, adds, "Almost everyone in Kerala eats beef, be it Christian, Muslim or Hindu."
Historical context provided by Sivadasan Mankada, a professor at Calicut University, explains, "Historically, the number of strict vegetarians in Kerala was very limited. With the spread of modern culture, beef has become widely consumed across the state." Official data supports this, showing Kerala's beef consumption is significantly higher than in Tamil Nadu and Meghalaya, despite Hindus forming 54.73% of the population.
Love Jihad and Conversion Narratives
The trailer also delves into "love jihad" and conversion issues, portraying women transitioning from Hindu names to wearing hijabs with bruises. Vipul Amrutlal Shah, when asked if the film spreads hate, stated, "When you are sick, you must accept first that you are sick." In contrast, Arunthathi argues, "The Malayalis are ok here. We are okay here. The way they have portrayed this is very wrong. We are over this."
At a press conference, filmmakers presented victims of "religious conversion," none from Kerala, leading to questions about the title. Director Kamakhya Singh initially called it a "pan-India movie" before clarifying, "It's related to Kerala also and from Kerala, how it's all over India." This has raised suspicions about creating a negative image of Kerala among north Indians.
Film critic A Chandrashekar points out discrepancies, noting the first film's claim of 32,000 forced conversions was later described as fictional, with only 3 recorded cases in India. He states, "Any kind of such narratives like forceful feeding of beef etc doesn't happen in Kerala and having a narrative like that even fictitiously cannot be tolerated as they are factually incorrect or fake." RTI data from the Ministry of Home Affairs shows 177 ISIS-related arrests in India from 2014-2020, with 19 from Kerala, contradicting the film's exaggerated figures.
Propaganda and Broader Implications
The term "propaganda" is frequently associated with the film. Chandrashekar distinguishes it from movies like The Accidental Prime Minister, saying, "It does not have any concrete evidence or documents to support the claims." He also notes that Malayalam films like Puzhu and Bharath Circus have faced criticism for false narratives, urging consistency in evaluation.
Saneed Khader questions the legitimacy of love jihad, stating, "Has any legitimate authority ever given a valid statement on love jihad happening in Kerala based on statistics and data? I don't think so... love jihad is a term found by right wing hindutva to terrorise Muslim community." The Calicut University professor calls it "an artificially constructed narrative designed to malign and undermine Kerala's composite culture," highlighting Kerala's support for interfaith marriages.
Despite the controversies, The Kerala Story 1 received a National Award, though Chandrashekar reveals efforts by a Malayalam filmmaker to convince the jury of its baseless plot were unsuccessful. The debate continues as the sequel faces legal hurdles and public scrutiny, challenging its portrayal of Kerala's social fabric.
