The Kerala Story 2 producer defends U/A nod amid backlash

Yashika Mathur (HINDUSTAN TIMES; February 21, 2026)

The Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond has been granted a U/A certificate by the CBFC, a move that has sparked mixed reactions. The U/A classification allows for unrestricted public exhibition for viewers aged 14 and above. Critics — including Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan — have called the film, based on religious conversion, “poisonous propaganda” that could damage the state’s image.

Amid the debate, producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah shares, “CBFC told us to make 15-16 changes, including some words and dialogues, and only then did they grant a U/A. They have taken all precautions to make sure that the film is suitable to be shown to a U/A audience.”

Ask how the sequel secured a U/A when the first film, The Kerala Story (2023), received an A rating and he says, “In the first film, there was a brutal rape sequence which my director was not ready to remove, so it had to get an A certification. This time, we took extra care to ensure that there is no such sequence.”

The trailer of The Kerala Story 2 was released on Thursday, the same day it received a U/A certificate, which has now come under legal scrutiny. According to Live Law, the Kerala High Court issued a notice to the makers in a writ petition challenging the certification.

The All India Muslim Jamaat (AIMJ) President Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi told ANI, “The Kerala Story 2 is a story based on fake narratives, and nowadays a trend has started among film directors to earn money in any way possible. The films these days are increasing communal tension and destroying the Hindu-Muslim brotherhood. All these things are being done as part of a planned effort to defame Muslims.”

Responding to the criticism, producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah says, “I am surprised that all Muslim organizations are saying that this is a lie. In the last half year alone, there have been cases such as Jalaluddin alias Chhangur Baba, who is now in jail and had allegedly converted thousands of girls. There was also Umar Gautam, who has been given life imprisonment for converting more than a thousand girls. UP Police launched Mission Asmita and alleged that a racket to convert thousands of girls was running across eight to twelve states.”

He adds, “When such stories come out, I expect Muslim organizations to condemn these acts and say this is not what should be happening. But I haven’t heard any such comment. When a film tries to show a certain reality, everybody raises an objection, that’s like shooting the messenger. If there is evidence that these cases are false, then there is no need for another Kerala story.”