The Kerala Story 2 makers grilled over absence of Malayali victim at press event

A press conference in Delhi for The Kerala Story 2 became heated as journalists questioned the filmmakers about the film's portrayal of Kerala, and why no "Malayali victim" was a part of their event.

A press conference in Delhi on Monday for the upcoming film The Kerala Story 2 saw a heated exchange between the filmmakers and members of the media. The event, organised to promote the sequel, quickly turned contentious when journalists accused the makers of "insulting" Kerala with their new film, and questioned them about the absence of "Malayali victims" on the stage. The film is due for release on February 27, and the filmmakers were in the capital city to introduce their work and clarify its intentions.

Producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah and director Kamakhya Narayan Singh were present at the event, where they introduced 30 women whom they claimed had allegedly experienced forced religious conversions. Their aim was to highlight the issue the film explores, but the interaction with journalists soon became confrontational. Journalists pressed the filmmakers on the narrative choices, especially focusing on the lack of any Malayali women among those brought to the press event.

The filmmakers explained that the women present were from various regions including Bengal, Bihar, Bhilwara, Gangapur, Rajkot, Udaipur, Jammu, Maharashtra, Bhopal, Jharkhand, Faridabad, Meerut, Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon, and Indore. When asked why none were from Kerala, Vipul said, "We brought those who suffered from Kerala after Kerala Story 1. The video is still available on YouTube."

Addressing further enquiries, another spokesperson added, "Had we brought them again, you would have said we brought the same people. You can't argue both sides."

When asked about how the sequel differs from the first film, director Kamakhya Narayan Singh responded, "No, it's the same story. This is a pan-India story." He also insisted that the film was not politically motivated and was unrelated to the Kerala elections. Vipul, echoing the same stance, remarked, "Aapko isko masala dena hai, aap dijiye please. (You add spice to it if you want)."