Vipul Amrutlal Shah’s The Kerala Story 2, which released last week, created a lot of controversy, finally released after a tough legal battle at Kerala High Court. However, the sequel didn’t match the box office expectations set by its 2023 predecessor The Kerala Story which was a big hit. At a recent public event, Leader of the opposition and member of Indian National Congress Rahul Gandhi addressed what the underwhelming business of the film signifies, also speaking about the weaponisation of media and pop culture to create division in society.

During an interaction with students at Marian College in Kerala, Rahul Gandhi said, “The good news is Nobody’s really watching The Kerala Story 2. The halls seem to be empty. It shows you that there are people. The majority of this country have an understanding of what Kerala, its traditions and culture is.”

At the same time, he also acknowledged the misuse of films and TV in destructive manners. “Movies, TV, Media has been weaponised. And it’s being used precisely for that purpose - to vilify and alienate people, and to create division in society. So that certain people are benefitted, and others are harmed. India has become very much like that,” he added.

Rahul Gandhi also addressed the subject of censorship in all forms. He said, “If a person wants to make a particular movie and present certain ideas, they will be attacked. Whereas certain other ideas, you can propagate them as much as you want. This is extremely damaging for the country, and it is happening.”

According to a report from Sacnilk, The Kerala Story 2 has garnered nearly Rs 27 crores at domestic box office so far, a major fall when compared to The Kerala Story which had crossed the 100-crore figure on its 9th day at the box office.