‘The Kerala Story 2’ screening halted in Kerala amid widespread protests

KANNUR: The scheduled screening of the film ‘The Kerala Story 2’ in Kannur was cancelled on Saturday following a protest by activists of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI).

The protest saw the tearing and burning of movie posters outside theatres, leading to clashes and forcing organisers to refund ticket holders.

The demonstration began when DYFI activists, led by DYFI Thissur district committee secretary K S Russal Raj, marched to the Thrissur Fun Movies theatre, pouring charcoal on posters of ‘The Kerala Story 2’ in a symbolic act of protest.

The march was part of a wider campaign by the organisation against the film, which follows the lives of three young women who, according to the movie, fall into deceptive marriages and face alleged forced religious conversions.

#WATCH | Kannur, Kerala: The DYFI Democratic Youth Federation of India) holds a protest against the screening of the movie ‘The Kerala Story 2’ and tears down its posters. pic.twitter.com/iFFGsTPeZf

— ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2026

As a result of the protest, the screening was abandoned due to a lack of audience, with theatre management initiating refunds and confirming no live screenings would take place inside the mall. Similar cancellations have also been reported at Cinepolis in Mall of Travancore, Thiruvananthapuram, where rescheduled screenings were halted in the wake of protests.

The Kerala High Court had lifted an earlier stay on the release of ‘The Kerala Story 2’ on Friday, allowing cinemas to resume screenings.

The stay, initially issued by Single Bench Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas for 15 days, was revoked by a Division Bench comprising Justices S.A. Dharmadhikari and P.V. Balakrishnan. The bench also directed the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to re-evaluate the film following claims that it contained content spreading hate.

Ever since the trailer for the sequel was released, the film has been drawing strong reactions from all corners, and several social media users have criticised it as “propaganda,” while the filmmakers maintain that it is based on researched real-life incidents.

Earlier, reports claimed that the teaser of the film was removed after court intervention. However, the makers denied these claims. (ANI)