Makers of 'The Kerala Story' to move SC, seeking removal of ban in Bengal

The makers of 'The Kerala Story' have approached the Supreme Court seeking the lifting of the ban on the film in West Bengal. In addition, they have requested the Tamil Nadu government to provide security to theaters screening the movie throughout the state.

On Monday, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, imposed an immediate ban on the controversial film to prevent any incident of hatred and violence. This makes West Bengal the first state to ban the film.

Union Minister Anurag Thakur expressed his confusion over the Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief's sympathies being with terror organizations rather than innocent girls from Kerala. Thakur also watched the film at a cinema hall in Delhi.

The movie 'The Kerala Story' depicts the harrowing experiences of three women who are sold as sex slaves to the Islamic State in Afghanistan. Produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah and directed by Sudipto Sen, the film has elicited strong reactions from different quarters, with some calling for its ban. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has denounced the movie as propaganda by the RSS.

The film is based on the NIA's investigation into the conversion of Nimisha and Sonia Sebastin, as well as the case filed against 24 people who left Kerala to join the Islamic State in Afghanistan. However, controversy erupted when the film claimed that 32,000 girls from Kerala were forcibly converted and sold to the Islamic State.

Due to the controversy, the West Bengal government has banned the movie in the state. However, Shah has stated that he will pursue legal remedies to challenge the ban on his film. "If the state government refuses to listen to us, we will explore legal options. However, our actions will be based on legal advice," Shah told news agency ANI.

The lead roles in 'The Kerala Story' are played by Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Siddhi Idnani, and Sonia Balani.