Hyderabad: The Kerala Story has generated a lot of interest since it allegedly narrates the story of how thousands of young women were misled into joining the Islamic State (IS) and taken to places like Syria and Afghanistan. It focuses on the unproven assertion that 32000 women from Kerala joined IS, despite the fact that government records indicate no such data.
Reacting to the film's treatment on a controversial topic like this, Kerala's ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), opposition United Democratic Front (UDF), and respective youth organisations have all spoken out against the film's release in the state. The Kerala Congress has also spoken out against the film.
However, members of the Film Exhibitors United Organisation of Kerala (FEUOK) said that banning The Kerala Story was pointless because the audience will see it anyhow when it will be released on OTT. Suresh Shenoy, a FEUOK office bearer who owns a theatre complex in Kochi, reportedly informed the media that banning a film would set a bad precedent. He went on to say that this was similar to censorship.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan stated on April 30 on Facebook that the Sangh Parivar created this film to disseminate misinformation. "A glance at the trailer gives the impression that the film was purposefully produced with the goal of communal polarisation and spreading hate propaganda against Kerala," the CM quipped.
It is duplicating the Sangh Parivar's rhetoric by designating Kerala, the home of secularism, as the epicentre of religious extremism. Sudipto Sen wrote and directed The Kerala Story, which will be released in theatres on May 5. The film is co-written by Suryapal Singh, Sudipto Sen, and Vipul Amrutlal Shah.
Also read: 'Kerala Story' film a Sangh Parivar lie: MYL leader Firoz
