Left organisations in Kerala have organised beef festivals, serving the dish in protest against the upcoming film The Kerala Story 2, which depicts a Hindu woman being force-fed beef, a scene that has sparked widespread outrage in the state.
According to the protesters, the film, directed by Kamakhya Narayan Singh and centred on the alleged forced conversion of Hindu women in Kerala, spreads misinformation and communal hatred about the state. They argue that such incidents do not occur in Kerala and that the portrayal is fabricated.
The protests – organised by the CPI(M)’s youth wing DYFI and student wing SFI — were held across the state on Friday evening, including in the capital Thiruvananthapuram, where organisers served beef with porotta, a popular combination among Keralites.
Beef fest protest by Communist SFI in Thiruvananthapuram against The Kerala Story 2
What was the need to include beef in it ? Just to mock Hindus pic.twitter.com/jSzdaavqvJ
— Frontalforce (@FrontalForce) February 20, 2026
The film is scheduled for release on February 27, and its trailer has already triggered a major political controversy.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was among the first to criticise the film, alleging that it was made with the “intent to spread hatred against the state and undermine its secular tradition”.
“We must collectively reject attempts to portray Kerala, a land of religious harmony that stands at the forefront of sustainable development and is a model in maintaining law and order, as a centre of terrorism,” Vijayan said.
He added, “It is the responsibility of each of us to ensure that Kerala’s secular foundation is not undermined by false propaganda and to reject it by upholding the values of secularism and brotherhood”.
Congress general secretary KC Venugopal also criticised the film, saying it aimed to “insult and communally divide” Kerala by “inventing false stories” about people being forced to eat beef in the state.
He alleged that the BJP-led Centre, which had honoured the first part of the movie “based solely on lies” with a national award, was encouraging such campaigns.
The BJP, however, hit back at the state government. Party state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar accused Chief Minister Vijayan of “double standards” and “selectively interpreting” freedom of expression.
“But if someone makes a movie about ‘love jihad’, then where is this freedom of expression and Article 19? I don’t know what to say about this CM. It is all a selective interpretation by him. If the CM does not like the movie, he need not watch it. Those who want to watch it should be allowed to do so,” the BJP leader said.
Meanwhile, the Kerala High Court has issued notices to the producers of The Kerala Story 2 – Goes Beyond, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), and the Union government on a petition filed by a Kerala native seeking to quash the film’s certification and direct modifications, including reconsideration of its title.
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Published On:
Feb 21, 2026
