Exhibitors Stopped 'The Kerala Story' Screening Due to Poor Audience Response: TN Govt To SC

The theatre owners have themselves stopped the screening of 'The Kerala Story', the Tamil Nadu government has informed the Supreme Court.

It has accused the filmmakers of making deliberately misleading statements that the Tamil Nadu government has imposed a shadow ban on the flick.

"The exhibitors have themselves stopped the screening of the movie due to the poor audience response and the government cannot do anything to increase the audience patronage for the said film, except to provide security to the cinema theatres," an affidavit filed by Tamil Nadu said.

'The Kerala Story' hit the screens in 19 multiplexes and the makers of the film have failed to produce any document to substantiate the claims that the government has imposed a shadow ban on the film, the affidavit stated. The DMK government added that it deployed 965 police personnel including 25 DSPs for the protection of the theatres that screened the film.

"The multiplex owners took the decision to stop screening the film from May 5 in view of the criticism received by it / lack of well-known actors / poor performance / poor audience response. The State exercises no control over decisions. It is reiterated that this decision was made by the theatre owners on their own and the State had no role to play over the same," the affidavit added.

Sudipto Sen-directed flick is produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah. It has Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Sonia Balani and Siddhi Idnani in the cast.

'The Kerala Story' has been severely criticised by politicians in Kerala accusing the flick of projecting Kerala and Muslims in a bad light. Also, the political leaders including Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan said that the film could create communal tension in the state while seeking a ban.

The story revolves around 3 women who are converted and then sold off as sex slaves to the Islamic State.

On the other hand, the Supreme Court recently questioned West Bengal which had banned the movie.

West Bengal government had announced that the movie was being banned to avoid "any incident of hatred and violence".

"The movie is being released all over the country and why the West Bengal government should not allow it to run," a bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha said. The apex court pointed out that the audience will not watch if a film is not worth watching.

The controversial flick was released on May 5 and minted close to Rs 150 crore at the India box office alone.