The Kerala Story is a film based on the mass religious conversion of non-Muslim women to Islam and their unfortunate induction into the terrorist group ISIS released in theatres on May 5. There have been rows of controversies around the film ever since its teaser was released. There were pleas at the Kerala High Court demanding a ban on the release of the film. However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi invoked the fil and said, it shows the ugly truth of terrorism.
The Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan made the movie tax-free and asked women, children and youth to watch it. Amid the high-voltage drama, Sadhus at Kashi watched the film and asked everyone to watch it.
Videos of Sadhus in saffron attire were shared by a Twitter handle named, Our Temples on May 6. In these clips Sadhus admired the makers of the film, saying it shows the reflection of the society and no one can deny it.
A sadhu said, “Films are supposed to be the mirror image of society and raise contemporary issues. Now makers have started writing stories inspired by real-life events which are good. When ‘The Kashmir Files’, a film was made the makers wondered if they would not be able to get even 600 screens but ended up having 6000 screenings around the world.”
“As the government data revealed as many as 32,000 women of Hindus and Christians are missing from Kerala, most of them have been inducted to ISIS after brainwashing. The film is not about Muslims or Hindus it is about the security of the country and its integrity as a whole. The makers have created a film on this and everyone should watch it. Those who have problems with the plot should present facts to negate them. However, the Kerala High Court declined to entertain all the pleas demanding a ban on the film and said the film must be shown,” he added.
A reporter said the Congress party is against the release of the film, Sadhu replied, “The full form of AICC is All India Church Congress, so it is quite evident that this Church Congress will oppose the film. They are anti-nationals and are meant to oppose the film”.
The group included Sadhus from across the country, the whole Kashi Sadhus and others. Another Sadhu said, “Previous governments have had one and only agenda to show Hindus in a bad light in every film. They have made fun of Sadhus, Hindu beliefs, their temples, and their issues like Love Jihad. There are films where a goon always wears tilak on their forehead, so there has been a whole lot of propaganda against Hindus back in the day. But the current government allows makers to write stories based on true events, the directors are taking risks and are showing the truth”.
Another Sadhu said, “We are collected here to watch the film and we have found that this shows the bitter truth about ‘Love Jihad’. If we can watch the film then no doubt women, children and youth can also watch it. Being a Sadhu it is our duty to make sure, our daughters are safe, and our temples, our culture, our customs, our beliefs are protected.
About the ‘Love Jihad’ angle in the film Sadhu said, “Yogi government in Uttar Pradesh is working actively against such crimes, other governments are also taking action against such conversions. We have also witnessed the times when hundreds and thousands of people were converted inside these Churches and Mosques, there is surely a decline in such activities. I would like to call out another thing and that is Bollywood which has been promoting interfaith love affairs for a long now, this needs to stop and I am sure under the able ruling government these things will surely stop”.
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 as it claims that 32,000 women from Kerala were forcibly converted and allegedly recruited to the militant outfit ISIS.
Notably, after pleas demanding facts behind the massive number of 32,000 were heard in the Kerala High Court, the makes have removed the trailer which shows 32,000 women were converted and admitted to ISIS.
In the film actress Adah Sharma played the role of Fathima Ba, a Hindu Malayali nurse, who is among the 32,000 women who went missing from Kerala and were then recruited to the ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) after being forced to convert to Islam.
The film released on May 5, 2023, in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam language.
Notably, The Kerala Story’s screenings were cancelled, on the opening day, in several Kerala districts after protests against the move.
Two shows that were listed to be screened have been cancelled in Kochi. The theatre owners at Kochi’s Lulu Mall, PVR Cinemas, and Centre Square Mall have decided not to screen the film. However, they’ve not stated any reasons for not screening the film. Furthermore, other movie theatres in Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Idukki, Kannur, and Wayanad districts have made similar decisions to not screen the movie.
Even after the targeted protests, the film is doing well and scores of people assembled across the theatres to watch the film. Stats will be made available only by the weekend.
