The Kerala High Court issued an urgent notice to producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah over a petition challenging the censor certification of Kerala Story 2.
The petitioner demanded the removal of the word 'Kerala' from the film's official title.
A fresh application seeks to implead Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited, submitting social media screenshots as evidence of online hostility against Keralites.
The Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond, which hit the theatres in February this year, sparked a political storm, protests, legal challenges, and massive backlash on social media for showing Kerala in a negative light. Directed by Kamakhya Narayan Singh and produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah, the film served as the sequel to 2023's The Kerala Story.
On Thursday (June 18), the Kerala High Court issued an urgent legal notice to Vipul Shah over a new petition, challenging the film's censor certification and demanding the removal of the word 'Kerala' from its official title.
Why did Kerala High Court issue notice to Vipul Shah?
Justice PV Kunhikrishnan questioned the relevance of the litigation, saying the film is already out and has reached a wide audience, Live Law reported. Chelson Chembarathy, the petitioner's lawyer, countered that the legal challenge remains necessary due to the film's upcoming digital release.
The Central Board of Film Certification argued the court should dismiss the petition entirely. The court deferred that debate until the final hearing.
What's in the new petition?
The film made its digital debut on Zee5 on May 1. The fresh petition now seeks to implead Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited in the ongoing lawsuit.
The petitioner submitted new evidence to support the claims. This material includes an email complaint sent to Zee's Content Grievance Redressal Officer and several social media screenshots.
The petition says the footage actively promotes hate speech against Keralites and minority groups. With the High Court summoning the producer, the legal challenge will now dissect the film on all fronts, targeting its title, censor clearance, streaming debut, and newly submitted online evidence.
The current plea targets the filmmaker under Sections 196, 197, and 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The petition says the film stirs conflict between regional and religious communities. It says the work damages national integration and intentionally insults religious beliefs to outrage public harmony.
Earlier, during a court session, Shah’s counsel strongly defended the project and said the lawsuit "must be condemned."
The Kerala Story 2 starred Ulka Gupta, Aditi Bhatia, and Aishwarya Ojha.
