The Bollywood film “The Kerala Story 2” was scheduled to release in theaters on Friday, February 27th, but on Thursday, it suffered a major setback when the Kerala High Court banned its release for 15 days. The film is embroiled in controversy over its subject of forced religious conversion in the state. The film’s makers have now appealed against the ban, but its future remains uncertain.
However, on Thursday night, the High Court agreed to hear the producers’ appeal against the ban, raising some hope that the film may be released on time. Amidst all this, the film is earning substantial revenue despite the stay. Do you know how this is happening?
Are tickets for “The Kerala Story 2” still selling despite the stay?
Major cinema chains like PVR, INOX, and Cinepolis have not listed any shows of “The Kerala Story 2” on online ticketing platforms like BookMyShow and District, but the film is still available for booking at several Maxus Cinemas in Mumbai. According to BookMyShow, 21 theaters in Mumbai are still selling tickets for the film despite the stay order. In Kolkata, Cinepolis is not screening any shows on Friday, but tickets are available for one location over the weekend. Interestingly, even before the release was halted, the film had already started earning at the box office with a pre-sale of 5,000 tickets on BookMyShow.
Confusion Remains Regarding the Film’s Release
On social media, Damodar Cinemas, a small chain, admitted that the film had not been released. However, M2 Cinemas, a national chain, announced on Friday morning that the film had been released in theaters. This led to confusing reactions from audiences, who questioned how tickets were still available despite the stay order. The makers of The Kerala Story 2 have not yet commented on the Kerala High Court’s stay order.
How much has The Kerala Story 2 earned?
Meanwhile, despite the stay on the release of The Kerala Story 2, its earnings figures are available on the trade website SacNilk. According to this, the film has earned ₹1.5 million as of 10 a.m. on Friday. Now, questions are being raised: how is the film earning so much money while the ban is in place?
