Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], February 28 : Vipul Amrutlal Shah has reacted strongly to comments made by filmmaker Anurag Kashyap regarding 'The Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond', questioning the remarks he made about his film.
'The Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond' is directed by Kamakhya Narayan Singh and produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah.
Addressing the media, Shah said, "Look, I do not comment on Anurag ji personally. He has his own opinion." However, he added that "Mere jo digdarshak hai unhone ek bahut acha mudda rakha tha uska jawab abhi tak Anurag ji ke paas se aaya nahi"(My director had raised a very good point, but Anurag ji has not yet responded to it.)
Earlier, Anurag Kashyap, while speaking to the media, slammed 'The Kerala Story 2' trailer, describing it as a "propaganda".
Vipul Amrutlal Shah also pointed out that Kashyap made a film 'That Girl in Yellow Boots' in which there was a depiction of "pita aur putri ke anaitik sambandh"(unethical relationship between a father and a daughter). "Kya unki aesi kisi tipaddi ko gambhirta se lena chahiye" (So, should the comments of someone who has made a film on such a subject be taken seriously?)
Shah mentioned that the question was publicly raised by the director Kamakhya Narayan Singh and expressed hope that Kashyap would address it openly. "I was hoping that Anurag would speak very openly. Perhaps his answer will come in the coming days," he said.
Earlier, director Kamakhya Narayan Singh, in a strong-worded response to the ongoing controversies and criticism of the film, also called out filmmaker Anurag Kashyap for his remarks.
Speaking to ANI, Kamakhya Singh emphasised that Kashyap has been "blind to the truth" about the society."Kai saalon se unki saari filmein flop hui hai...woh mansik roop se durbal ho chukka hai...unko sachai dikhta nahi hai. (His films have been flopping for many years. He become mentally weak. He isn't able to see the truth)", the director said.
"If he has a problem with the truth shown in our film, it means he has a problem with the entire world. Every scene of our film is based on true incidents. We know that it is based on true incidents, so if Anurag ji wants, then we will send all the research materials to his house. But he has to find fault in everything. He has just become blind to the truth. He doesn't want to see it or understand it," he added.
Vipul Amrutlal Shah also clarified that his film 'The Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond' does not target the state of Kerala or its people, following the Kerala High Court Division Bench lifting the stay on the film's release. He also noted that the movie is a reflection of truth and was made with a lot of hard work.
While speaking to the media, he said, "The Kerala High Court Division Bench has withdrawn the stay that we got yesterday. And they have cleared the way for the release of the film. Now our shows have already started opening. So I request the people that this is a true film made with a lot of hard work. And the biggest proof of the truth of our film is that the Kerala court has vacated the stay order. If our film was a lie, then the Kerala court would have seen it and the stay order would not have been vacated."
"I am very thankful to the Kerala Court of Honourable Justice, on behalf of myself and my entire team. Because of the prayers of thousands and lakhs of victims, I feel that this film will go ahead and make a place in the hearts of people," he added, expressing gratitude to the Kerala High Court Division Bench.
He urged the people of Kerala to view the film with an open mind. "Neither our film, nor I, nor any member of my team is against the state of Kerala or the people of Kerala. Kerala is a very beautiful place. It is God's own country. But if something wrong is happening in God's own country, then it is our effort to reach those people and rectify that mistake. And I promise you that if you watch the film, then you will understand that we have not said anything negative about Kerala or the people of Kerala in this film. This film exposes some criminals."
'The Kerala Story 2,' the sequel to the National Award-winning 'The Kerala Story', that came out in 2023, follows the lives of three young women who fall into what the film describes as deceptive marriages and face alleged forced religious conversions.
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.
The Kerala High Court Division Bench on Friday lifted the stay on the release of the film 'The Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond'.High Court Division Bench of Justices SA Dharmadhikari and PV Balakrishnan stayed the interim order passed by Single Bench Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas, which stayed the release for 15 days.
On February 26, the Kerala High Court directed the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to re-watch and reconsider the clearance of 'The Kerala Story 2', following claims that the film contains hate-spreading content.