- Kerala High Court cleared The Kerala Story 2 for theatrical release amid controversy
- Producer Vipul Shah confirmed the film's release tonight despite delayed opening concerns
- Shah criticized Anurag Kashyap's film and questioned his credibility on the film's topic
The controversy around The Kerala Story 2 intensified on Friday after the Division Bench of the Kerala High Court cleared the film for theatrical release amid allegations that it stereotypes Kerala and its people. The verdict came as a relief to the makers, who had been battling legal and political challenges in the run up to release.
Soon after the court's decision, producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah addressed the media at a press conference and confirmed that the film would hit theatres tonight. Admitting that the delay may dent its opening day box office numbers, Shah said he remains optimistic about the film's long-term performance.
"The day one collection will be affected because of the delay, but we are confident that if people like the film, it will make up for it in the long run," he said.
The press meet also saw Shah responding sharply to comments made by filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, who had earlier criticised the trailer of The Kerala Story 2, calling it a "b*****t trailer". When asked whether he believed the film was propaganda, Kashyap had responded, "Absolutely."
Reacting to these remarks, Shah said he did not want to make personal comments on Kashyap but questioned the credibility of his criticism.
Referring to Kashyap's 2010 film The Girl in Yellow Boots, Shah said, "My director had made a valid point about Anurag. Anurag Kashyap has made a film called The Girl in Yellow Boots where an inappropriate relationship between a father and daughter was portrayed. So, a person who can show a physical sexual relationship between a father and daughter, can any of his opinions be taken seriously on a topic like this? This is the question my director Kamakya had raised."
Shah added that he had hoped Kashyap would respond to the question raised by director Kamakya, but that had not happened yet. "We are hoping he will say something in the next few days," he said.
While the film has now secured clearance in India, it continues to face hurdles overseas. The Kerala Story 2 is not releasing in several countries, including Malaysia and the UAE.
With legal clearance in place but debate far from over, all eyes are now on how audiences respond to the film at the box office.
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