‘Nothing wrong with it’: Former Mizoram governor to watch ‘The Kerala Story 2’

Former Mizoram Governor Kummanam Rajasekharan said he would watch The Kerala Story 2–Goes Beyond, maintaining that he had found nothing objectionable in the first instalment of the franchise.

“I will surely see it. I saw the first film, and there was nothing wrong with it. There is nothing wrong with this film either. How will it affect secularism?” he told reporters.

Rajasekharan, a former BJP state president, questioned arguments that the sequel could undermine secular values in Kerala. When informed about reports of low ticket sales, he said the decision to watch a film rests entirely with individuals.

He said the film portrays the plight of women facing such issues and added that several books discussing similar subjects had not drawn objections. The former Governor also claimed that minority communities, including Christians, have expressed concerns over extremist activities.

His remarks came amid legal and political debate surrounding the film’s release. A division bench of the Kerala High Court on Friday stayed a single judge’s order that had halted the screening of the film for 15 days.

The bench observed that the earlier finding — that certification guidelines were not followed by the Central Board of Film Certification — was “merely on the basis of a few clippings and without viewing the movie” and therefore “cannot be countenanced”.

The single judge had earlier held that there was, prima facie, a “manifest non-application of mind” by the censor board. The court had also noted that “the possibility of communal disharmony or denigration of a community [was] prima facie involved in the movie”, and that its release without scrutiny by higher authorities would be legally improper.

With the stay order in effect, the film’s release is now set to proceed.