Kerala government calls for ban on The Kerala Story, not a good precedent say exhibitors

There has been a lot of debate around the film 'The Kerala Story,' which tells the story of how thousands of young women were brainwashed into joining the Islamic State.

The film has been opposed by political parties in Kerala, like the ruling Left Democratic Front, the Opposition United Democratic Front and their youth organisations. The Congress in Kerala too has opposed the film.

The Film Exhibitors United Organisation of Kerala (FEUOK) have said that banning the film was not of any use as the audience would watch the film when it releases on OTT anyway. FEUOk officer bearer Suresh Shenoy who owns a theatre complex in Kochi told the media that banning the film is not a good precedent. He also said that this was akin to censorship.

In a Facebook post on April 30, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that the movie was made by the Sangh Parivar to spread lies.

"A glance at the trailer gives the impression that the movie was deliberately produced with the aim of communal polarisation and spreading hate propaganda against Kerala. By placing Kerala, the land of secularism, as the centre of religious extremism, it is repeating the Sangh Parivar's propaganda. Propaganda films and the othering of Muslims should be viewed in the context of various efforts made by the Sangh Parivar to gain an advantage in electoral politics in Kerala," the CM said.

A post on Twitter put out by Kerala's culture and youth affairs minister, Sai Cheriyan read, " "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."

'The Kerala Story' is written and directed by Sudipto Sen and produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah. It is slated for a release on May 5.