As the much-anticipated sequel The Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond readies for its release on February 27, 2026, in the cinema, national-level shooter Tara Shahdeo has secured a much-needed spokesperson throughout the national discourse. The film serves Shahdeo no less than a film in a movie, a direct reflection of the false marriage & forced conversion effort, which derailed (over a decade ago) her life.
Shahdeo recently spoke at an event in Delhi, about how the film is an eye-opener to society, pointing out that it’s much like echoing the “trusted networks” and institutional deception she alleges made her victimized, because of this film.
A Decade of Deception: The Tara Shahdeo saga
Tara Shahdeo’s nightmare started on July 7, 2014, when she married a man who she thought was Ranjit Singh Kohli, a prosperous Hindu entrepreneur. The marriage proposal had come up through influence with a high court registrar who made the family feel secure. But the façade fell apart the next day. Shahdeo learned that her husband was in fact Raqibul Hasan.
What ensued was a brutal period of captivity and coercion: Forcible Conversion: Hasan, his mother, and a court official reportedly forced her to perform a Nikah ceremony and convert to Islam. Torturing: She became a little tortured by her refusal as both physically and psychologically tortured but managed to flee her ordeal after her refusal, resulting in her flight and later being transferred to the hospital.
Legal victory
Finally, Raqibul Hasan was sentenced to life in prison by a Special CBI Court in Ranchi, after spending more than 9 years in court. Link to The Kerala Story 2:. The upcoming film, directed by Kamakhya Narayan Singh, examines tales of false marriages and coercion throughout Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Kerala.
The movie thus validates stories to survivors who are frequently derided by the society as "misled." Shahdeo stressed that “if there was a discussion in our house back then we wouldn’t have been victims.”. The film is eye opening because it talks about things we never want to discuss.”.
A Call for Earlier Awareness
Shahdeo supports the film because she believes systemic deceit is frequently disguised as “reputed” social standing. She remembered how the judge and the authority figures among Hasan’s circle of acquaintances made her family trust the match. She hopes, if these stories do become popular, so that the next times, perhaps the next generation of victims will see the warning signs of “grooming,” “love jihad” before it’s too late. Although two of the sentences pending appeals have recently been postponed by the High Court, Shahdeo continues to stay committed toward justice and regards the imminent release of The Kerala Story 2 as a must-have for social conscience and to salute the power that survivors have in their fight.
