Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], February 21 (ANI): Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC on Friday defended the movie 'Kerala Story 2', stating it's not spreading misinformation.

Speaking to ANI, she claimed that many girls in Kerala have been converted, citing a case study of 32,000 girls, and urged people to look at both sides to maintain peace in society.

'The film Kerala Story 2 is not a campaign of misinformation. The truth is that many girls in Kerala have been converted... This becomes evident when you look at the case study of 32,000 girls... Highlighting this is the aim of this film. To those protesting against it, I would only say that if you want to maintain peace in society, you should look at both sides and understand what is actually happening in Kerala', she said.

The movie's trailer has sparked controversy, with some calling it 'brutal truth' and others labelling it 'propaganda'. The film explores themes of religious conversion and coercion, set in Kerala, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh.

Amid the ongoing debate surrounding 'The Kerala Story 2,' producer Vipul Shah opened up about the film, stating that it does not target Kerala as a state.

While speaking to ANI, Shah said that the issue highlighted in the film is an 'evil' that needs to be addressed. 'We're not after Kerala. Kerala is God's Country... We want this evil in that state to be eradicated as soon as possible.

'He also spoke about the criticism faced by the first film, especially over the numbers shown in the movie. Shah further alleged that the lack of action from the government, even after the release of the first film, prompted them to make a sequel.

'Some people criticised the first film, claiming the 32,000 figure was false. We made a video on this figure on YouTube, which is currently available. We've added the names and shown the figures. The government must have even more figures than us, but we've never heard of any strict action being taken since the release of the film...,' he told ANI.

Shah also explained why the sequel carries the same title and how the story goes beyond one state. Speaking about the wider scope of the film, he said, 'Kerala Story 2 goes beyond Kerala and exposes the massive conspiracy of manipulative conversion going on throughout India. Because its central theme is the same as Kerala Story 1, we named it Kerala Story 2...

'The producer also spoke about safety concerns around the film. When asked if he had received any threats after the announcement of part 2, Shah said, 'Till now, there has been no threat to this film. When you are telling the truth, then perhaps you are not in that much danger because people feel that if we threaten a person who tells the truth, then there could be backlash.

'A fresh political debate began following the trailer's release earlier this month. The film has drawn sharp reactions from political leaders in Kerala.

Earlier, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan strongly opposed reports about a sequel to The Kerala Story. He said such a film could again try to create communal tension in the state.

The Kerala Story 2 is scheduled to release in theatres on February 27. (ANI)