Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, MK Stalin (left) and Adah Sharma as Fathima Ba in the film, The Kerala Story
After the Kerala High Court gave green signals to the makers of the film, The Kerala Story and allowed its screening there have been protests by the supporters of the terror groups and fringe elements in different parts of the country.
It has been alleged that following the threats by terror outfits and fringe elements, the Tamil Nadu government unofficially imposed ban on the screening of the film, The Kerala Story.
The Kerala Story is a film based on mass religious conversions of non-Muslim women to Islam by way of grooming and brainwashing. Later the film shows, they induction into the Islamist terror organisation ISIS.
The plot of the movie is inspired by real-life incidents and revolves around the mass religious conversion of as many as 32,000 non-muslim women from the state of Kerala. The film throws light on, how these women were groomed and forced in the path of Islam, later these innocent minds are transported across the border and inducted to vicious terror group ISIS.
On May 6, police in Chennai and Coimbatore arrested over 300 people from various Muslim organizations, including the Social Democratic Party (SDPI) and Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam (TMMK), who were planning to protest the screening of the movie “The Kerala Story.”
These fringe elements and members of SDPI and TMMK groups assembled in front of theatres with black flags and placards. They wanted to stop the screening of the film saying the film peddles propaganda against the minority community.
On the release day, May 5, members of these organisations entered the Brookefields Mall in Coimbatore, they created a ruckus and wanted the screening to be stopped. Another Tamil fringe group, the Naam Tamilar party, announced on May 6 that they would lay siege to movie theatres screening the movie ‘The Kerala Story’ across the state.
It is pertinent to mention that the leader of the Naam Tamilar Party previously demanded the release of an Islamic terrorist arrested in connection with the Coimbatore bombing.
The allegations against the DMK government regarding the unofficial ban intensify even more with the fact that, bookings for the film online ticketing platforms like Book My Show have been withdrawn for cinemas in Tamil Nadu.
In light of the protests, Tamil Nadu’s multiplexes have cancelled shows of the controversial film ‘The Kerala Story’ owing to law & order issues. Despite the fact that the film was playing to packed houses, multiplexes have claimed that attendance was low in order to appease the DMK government.
On May 5, Organiser reported, 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.
It is pertinent to note that only three theatres in the Ernakulam district showed the film. It will be shown in Shenoys in Kochi City, Carnival Cinemas in Kariyad, and Dharshana Cinema Complex in Piravom.
Even the Kerela High Court rejected the petition to stall the film screening on May 5. The Court observed, “Nothing will happen just because the film is screened. The teaser of the film was released in November. What was offensive in the film? What is wrong in saying that Allah is the only God? The country gives the citizen the right to believe in their religion and God and spread it. What was offensive in the trailer?”.
The Court stated, “So many movies have already come out about such organisations. There have been references against Hindu monks and Christian priests in many films before. Did you see all this in the way of fiction? What is so special now? How does this movie create sectarianism and conflict in the society?”. The bench of Justice N Nagaresh and Justice Mohammed Nias CP gave this decision.
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