26 February,2026 09:07 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Sumit Gahlawat
It's no news that The Kerala Story 2 has been embroiled in a controversy ever since the early visuals of the film were released. As the legal row continues, the Kerala HC has now halted the release of the film, causing hinderance in its initially planned February 27 release. Amid the ongoing controversy, mid-day got in touch with Sumit Gahlawat, one of the antagonists, who plays the role of Salim in the film, to understand what it is like in the camp.
"On this, I would just like to say that it is a little sad that the work of actors gets overshadowed because of the controversy. Because we also work very hard. And I would just say that people should talk about actors more about the work of actors rather than other stuff. I hope at least after the release of the film, people talk about how the actors have done their work. Be it good or bad, but it's better if people talk about the actors."
When asked his reaction to the film being labelled as propaganda, Sumit says, "I would say, just watch the film once. Let's watch the film, and then discuss. At least we can discuss acting or actors, but just watch the whole film first."
We also asked him about the controversial scene in the trailer, where beef is being forcefully fed to a girl, and what went on behind the scenes of that shot. To which he reveals, "Of course, it was not an easy scene to perform, also. As an actor, we are always thinking that the scene should reach the audience as it is. So, while filming that scene, I was performing it as Salim only."
He admits that it was a tough scene to perform, while revealing how he and the other actors prepared for it. "Before shooting it we tried to relax as much as we could. I was talking to my co-actor because it was important to have a mutual understanding with her ease things with her before the serious shot. We kept the atmosphere light-hearted by talking and joking with each other because we knew it was a difficult scene."
He went on to reveal how he is a "Switch on and switch off" type of actor. "I try to stay as real as possible as soon as I hear cut. Whatever I have to act and get into the chacater I do that between the shots. If it's a very serious shot, I try to joke around with someone or talk to someone as soon as the director says cut. In those 5-10 minute breaks between shots, I have some try to have fun around, and then get into the zone 10-20 seconds before the scene."
Talking about the atmosphere on the sets during the said scene, he shared, "Thankfully, it wasn't a very serious atmosphere on the sets."
