Why The Kerala Story Director Sudipto Sen Didn't Return For The Sequel: "Can't Rely On WhatsApp Forwards"

Sudipto Sen, who directed the controversial yet commercially successful The Kerala Story in 2023, has shared his reasons for stepping away from directing the second installment of the film.

Directed by Kamakhya Narayan Singh, The Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond raised a political uproar with the release of its trailer last week. Political leaders and members of film fraternities have shared their views on the film, sparking a heated online debate.

"For the first film, I researched the subject for 10 years. I could stand by every word and visual in that film. If the sequel expands beyond Kerala into other states, I cannot rely on WhatsApp forwards or newspaper reports," Sen told India Today about why he stepped away from directing the sequel.

Emphasizing the rigorous groundwork, Sen told the publication, "Sensitive subjects require deep research and long-term study. Without that foundation, I wouldn't feel responsible enough to direct it."

The Kerala Story 2 Controversy

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan criticized the film, calling it "false propaganda" and "poisonous."

Soon after, a petition was filed in the Kerala High Court against the film by a biologist, challenging its release in cinemas.

According to the plea, the sequel contains "malicious and stereotypical projections scandalizing an entire state without any basis." It further states, "A perusal of the trailer of the movie shows that the story is based on women from three different states and takes place mainly in the northern part of India. Yet, the title and scenes try to portray the state in a bad light."

The petition adds, "The movie tends to alienate Kerala and Keralites from the rest of India. Also, the name is an intentional attempt to impute a reality to what is more or less a speculative fear of the writer or director. While the petitioner is not against the freedom of expression of the writer-filmmaker to express their fears, whether substantive or speculative, they cannot attribute that fear to Kerala, to an entire state, falsely."

Meanwhile, director Anurag Kashyap and actor Prakash Raj took digs at the director, who retorted.

The hearing on the film is scheduled for today at the High Court, which will decide whether it can release in cinemas on February 27.

Also Read | Prakash Raj Reacts After The Kerala Story 2 Director Calls Him "Intellectually Bankrupt"