After the success of The Kerala Story, which went on to become the highest-grossing female-led film of all time with a staggering box-office collection of Rs 378 crore, the team is back with a sequel. This next installment will dive into another explosive subject—the controversial Hema Committee report, once again set in Kerala. A source close to the development told NDTV, "Director Sudipto Sen and Vipul Shah want to make a worthy sequel to The Kerala Story. It was the highest female grosser of all time with 378 crore and is the number one film streaming on Zee as well. The sequel on the Hema Comittee report will again have Adah Sharma headlining the project as she is now the face of The Kerala Story and she has amassed a huge fan following. The film will also have a popular older actress playing a parallel role."
The filmmakers are keeping the pre-production phase tightly under wraps. According to sources close to the project, much like the original film, the sequel is expected to be announced directly with the trailer. All actors involved have signed non-disclosure agreements (NDA), ensuring that details about the storyline and cast are strictly confidential for now.
ICYDK, the Hema Committee report, around which the sequel will revolve, stirred up a political and social storm in Kerala. The report allegedly exposed several high-profile individuals involved in sexual assaults, making it one of the most sensitive topics the region has faced.
In an interview with NDTV's Hardika Gupta, Adah Sharma spoke about her choice to act in controversial films such as The Kerala Story and Bastar. She said, "I didn't know The Kerala Story was controversial when I was doing it. It was a film about ISIS victims, a film about terrorism. Only after the film was released, I realised if one speaks the truth about social issues, it will be called controversial. Bastar was a dedication to those who found The Kerala Story controversial. For The Kerala Story, the preparation was different from Bastar. In one, I am a college girl and in the other, I'm fighting a war as a soldier. Getting into the skin of the character is what I enjoy doing. Getting out of a character and preparing for life again is what is difficult but I got directly into my next project, Sunflower season 2, which was fiction where I played a bar dancer and I also had Commando which involved action. So, I had enough to distract my mind."
For the unversed, the Kerala Story, released in 2023, focuses on the alleged forced conversions of Hindu and Christian women to Islam. The story is set in Kerala and follows the life of a fictional character, Shalini Unnikrishnan, who is converted to Islam and becomes Fatima Ba. The film also stars Yogita Bihani, Sonia Balani and Siddhi Idnani.
On the work front, Adah Sharma will next be seen in The Game Of Girgit and Rapchick Reeta. She starred in several projects including Selfiee, The Kerala Story, Bastar: The Naxal Story, Hasee Toh Phasee and Phhir, The Holiday, Meet Cute and Pati Patni Aur Panga among others.