- The makers of The Kerala Story 2 got into a heated argument during a press conference in Delhi on Monday
- Producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah and director Kamakhya Narayan Singh were in the capital to promote the sequel
- At the event, the filmmakers introduced 30 victims. However, none of them were from Kerala
The makers of The Kerala Story 2 got into a heated exchange with members of the media during a press conference in Delhi on Monday, after being accused of "insulting" Kerala with their upcoming film.
Producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah and director Kamakhya Narayan Singh were in the capital to promote the sequel.
At the event, the filmmakers introduced 30 women whom they claimed had allegedly experienced forced religious conversions. However, the interaction soon turned confrontational when journalists questioned the narrative and the absence of any Malayali women among those presented.
Why Were There No Malayali Victims Present?
According to the filmmakers, the women brought to the press conference were from Bengal, Bihar, Bhilwara, Gangapur, Rajkot, Udaipur, Jammu, Maharashtra, Bhopal, Jharkhand, Faridabad, Meerut, Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon, and Indore. When asked why none of the women were from Kerala, Vipul responded, "We brought those who suffered from Kerala after Kerala Story 1. The video is still available on YouTube."
He added, "Had we brought them again, you would have said we brought the same people. You can't argue both sides."
When pressed about how the sequel differs from the first film, Kamakhya Narayan Singh stated, "No, it's the same story. This is a pan-India story." He further maintained that the film was not politically motivated and had no connection with the Kerala elections. Echoing a similar sentiment, Vipul said, "Aapko isko masala dena hai, aap dijiye please. (You add spice to it if you want)."
Is The Film Targeting Kerala?
Another point of contention was the title itself. Journalists questioned why the film continued to be named after Kerala if, as the makers claimed, the issue extended across the country.
In response, the director said, "No, it's related to Kerala also. And from Kerala, how it is all over India. The first time we made this story, people said this is only Kerala's story. We now want to show that this happens across the country, not just Kerala."
The exchange escalated further when a reporter asserted that Kerala is "number one in education" and accused the makers of tarnishing the state's image.
Vipul firmly replied, "Let me ask you a straight and simple question. On the floor of assembly, the then CM had put a report. If you are going to be blind towards the problem in your state, which is a wonderful state. You are destroying the state; you are responsible. Not us. You don't want to accept there's a problem."
The filmmakers also chose not to respond directly to criticism from Anurag Kashyap and Prakash Raj. Instead, Vipul questioned whether those criticising the film had shown sensitivity towards the women presented as victims.
Despite the tense exchanges, the makers reiterated that their film seeks to highlight what they describe as a wider national issue rather than target a particular state. The Kerala Story 2 is set to hit cinemas on February 27.
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