Shashi Tharoor calls The Kerala Story ‘a hate-mongering film’ amid sequel facing petition challenging its release

3 min readMumbaiFeb 20, 2026 05:27 PM IST

While The Kerala Story 2 faces legal challenges, with a petition questioning its release and the certification granted by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), political leaders are also raising concerns about the intent behind the film. The latest to join the discussion is Shashi Tharoor, who, while speaking to news agency ANI, criticized the makers of the sequel as well as its controversial predecessor, The Kerala Story.

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He said, “The first film, The Kerala Story, was a hate-mongering film. It lacked any foundation. They were saying that thousands of people were converted, which is not true. I think there were around 30 such cases over a number of years. Ours is a very big country. If a case occurs here and there, it doesn’t mean you should turn it into a big story and use it as propaganda. What’s the point of saying things that will only spread hatred in people’s minds, and that too about things which are not even correct? I don’t think such things should happen.”

He further added, “I feel films should be made that bring everyone together. Like in our childhood, films such as Amar Akbar Anthony used to get entertainment tax exemption. It was a film about three children, raised in three different religions, coming together to fight the villain. Films like these, which highlight the spirit of unity between Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians, should be the motivation, not vehicles that spread hatred.”

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Recently, Kerala’s Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, also voiced concerns about the sequel, describing it as “made with the agenda of spreading hatred against Kerala” and emphasizing the seriousness of the matter. In a statement, he said: “The release of a second part of The Kerala Story, which was made with the agenda of spreading hatred against Kerala and insulting our secular traditions, should be seen seriously.”

For those unaware, on Thursday, the Kerala High Court issued a notice to the producers in response to a writ petition challenging the film’s certification. The petition raises concerns over the film’s promotional materials, which reportedly depict women from several states being lured into relationships and coerced into religious conversion. The petitioner claims that while the storyline spans multiple states, the film repeatedly links alleged incidents of terrorism and forced conversion specifically to Kerala.

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