Kerala’s ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), the opposition United Democratic Front (UDF), and other Left and Islamic organisations have all spoken out against the release of ‘The Kerala Story’ in the State and called for a ban. The Kerala Congress has also spoken out against the film and told people to boycott it.
Members of the Film Exhibitors United Organisation of Kerala (FEUOK) have now declared that banning ‘The Kerala Story’ is pointless because the audience will see it anyhow after the film gets released on OTT.
Suresh Shenoy, a FEUOK office bearer who runs a theatre complex in Kochi, told the media that banning a film will not set a good precedent. He went on to say that this constitutes censorship.
Even film fraternity members have spoken against the State-induced ban on cinema. Actor Chetan Kumar of the 2013 hit film Myna tweeted, “Controversial film ‘The Kerala Story’ will hit screens on May 5 While I have refused to act in movies that demonise community/gender in past, I don’t believe a state should ban a cinema—that has received censor board permission—on ideological grounds, Freedom of expression is must”.
Meanwhile, Culture Minister Saji Cherian urged people to boycott the movie, saying it aimed to show the State in a bad light. He added, “People of all religions live in harmony here”. He said, “Kerala is a state which is known for communal harmony… This movie could be seen as an attempt by the Sangh Parivar to destroy the secular fabric of the State… This is a conspiracy to divide and create unrest in society”.
Other than the governing CPM, the opposition Congress and Indian Muslim League has also slammed the movie. They call it an agenda film, a “Sangh Parivar conspiracy to implement its agenda in the state”.
CPM youth wing DYFI echoed the calls for legal action and alleged that the trailer “aims at communal polarisation”. IUML state general secretary PMA Salam said, “The trailer highlights CPM leader (and former CM) VS Achuthanandan’s statement regarding religious conversion made 13 years ago. CPM should clarify its present stand.”
‘The Kerala Story’, stars Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Sonia Balani, and Siddhi Idnani in the lead roles, will be released on May 5. The film is directed by Sudipto Sen and produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah’s movie production house. The trailer made a buzz on social media, claiming that 32,000 women from Kerala were forcibly converted and allegedly recruited to the militant outfit ISIS.
In the film, actress Adah Sharma plays the role of Fathima Ba, a Hindu Malayali nurse among the 32,000 women who went missing from Kerala and were recruited to ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) after being forced to convert to Islam.
