The court observed that prima facie, the Central Board for Film Certification (CBFC) ignored the guidelines for film certification, and directed it to re-examine the matter.
The order by a Bench of Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas comes in the wake of petitions challenging the issuance of censor certificate, and the alleged wrong portrayal of Kerala in the teaser and trailer of the film that was scheduled to be released on Friday (February 27, 2026).
In the interim order, the court observed that the contents of the teaser, which is conceded to be part of the movie, has the prima facie potential to distort public perception of Kerala and to disturb communal harmony. The dissemination of content that could create discord and undermine social harmony cannot come within the gamut of ‘freedom speech of expression’ enshrined in the Constitution of India.
Two pleas had been filed before the High Court, challenging the release of the film thatportrayed narratives involving women from multiple States. The petitioners had expressed the fear that the mention of The Kerala Story 2 in the title amounted to associating alleged incidents of terrorism and forced conversion mentioned in the film, exclusively to the State.
