The Kerala High Court has issued notice to film producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah on an application seeking the removal of the film Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond from the OTT platform Zee5.
The single-judge Bench of Justice PV Kunhikrishnan on Thursday issued notice to the producer while hearing an interlocutory application filed in connection with a pending writ petition that had originally challenged the film prior to its theatrical release.
The Court initially questioned whether the application had become infructuous since the film had already been released in theatres and viewed by the public. The Bench observed that the film had already reached a wide audience and noted that OTT platforms generally cater to a comparatively limited segment of viewers. However, the Court subsequently agreed to examine the application on merits, while clarifying that the issue of maintainability would also be considered at a later stage.
The application was filed by Kochi resident Yohan George, challenging the certification granted to the film by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). He further sought the removal of the words “Kerala” and “Keralam” from the title of the movie. George had earlier approached the High Court before the film’s release, alleging that the movie misrepresented the State of Kerala and promoted communal disharmony. A single-judge Bench had initially stayed the release of the film on February 26, 2026.
However, the filmmakers immediately challenged the interim order before a Division Bench of the High Court. The appeal was taken up on an urgent basis on the same day, and the Division Bench vacated the stay order on February 27, thereby permitting the film’s release. The main writ petition challenging the film remains pending adjudication before the High Court.
In the meantime, the film was released theatrically and subsequently began streaming on Zee5 from May 1, 2026. The petitioner has now moved a fresh application seeking the removal of the film from the OTT platform. According to the plea, the continued availability of the film on digital platforms has allegedly contributed to the propagation and normalisation of what the petitioner described as a false narrative concerning Kerala.
The petition contended that a representation was submitted on June 12, 2026, to the Content Grievance Redressal Officer of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited, seeking immediate removal of the film from the platform. However, no effective action has allegedly been taken on the representation.
The petitioner further submitted that the OTT release had resulted in widespread circulation of clips, excerpts and condensed versions of the film across various social media platforms. It was alleged that such content was frequently accompanied by posts portraying the film as being based on real incidents from Kerala and was being used to promote hostility against the Muslim community and Malayalis.
According to the petitioner, the circulation of such content had contributed to a distorted public perception of Kerala and the Muslim community, leading to a campaign of vilification and communal polarisation in the digital space. The application alleged that excerpts and capsule versions of the film were being extensively shared on platforms such as Instagram, X and Reddit, often alongside hashtags and posts that projected the film as depicting actual events and encouraged targeted hostility against minority communities.
Taking note of the submissions, the High Court issued notice to the producer and agreed to consider the application, while leaving open the question of whether the plea remained maintainable after the film’s theatrical release and subsequent OTT streaming.
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