The Kerala High Court has lifted an interim stay on the release of the film ‘The Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond’, clearing the path for its theatrical debut on Friday, 27 February 2026.
A Division Bench comprising Justices S.A. Dharmadhikari and P.V. Balakrishnan vacated the temporary restraint order issued just a day earlier by single-judge Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas. That single-judge ruling had imposed a 15-day stay on the film’s release, citing concerns over the Central Board of Film Certification’s (CBFC) handling of certification amid petitions alleging risks to public order and communal harmony.
The division bench stayed the single judge’s order following an urgent appeal by producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah. Arguments from the film’s side emphasised that the movie does not harm Keralam or any religious community and that further delays would inflict significant financial losses on the producers.
After the stay order was issued at around 3 PM yesterday, the producers of the movie had approached the court immediately seeking its reversal. The Division Bench convened an urgent listing at 7.30 PM on Thursday, and heard the matter. After a hearing lasting 2 hours, the bench had reserved its verdict, which was delivered today.
The Bench said that since the CBFC had watched the movie in its entirety, there is a presumption that the decision to grant certification was taken after comprehensive analysis. In case the movie spurs communal tension, it is the duty of the State’s law and order machinery to address the same, the court added.
The bench found that the single judge bench’s order was prima facie non-compliance with guidelines. The high court bench said that the stay order was delivered after watching only the teasers and trailers of the movie, and it can’t be accepted.
“In such circumstances, merely on the basis of a few clippings and without viewing the movie, the finding of the learned Single Judge that the guidelines for certification have not been borne in mind by the CBFC while granting certification, cannot be countenanced,” the order stated.
The single judge bench had stayed the release of the movie based on two petitions alleging that the movie misrepresents Kerala and could incite communal disharmony.
‘The Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond’, directed by Kamakhya Narayan Singh and produced under Sunshine Pictures, is the sequel to the 2023 hit ‘The Kerala Story’, which sparked widespread debate over its portrayal of “love jihad” and radicalisation in Keralam. The new instalment has similarly drawn criticism from leftist and Ismalist groups, accusing the movie of stereotyping communities and misrepresenting Kerala.
