'The Kerala Story' screening cancelled in several Kerala theatres

Amid the courts refusing to stay the release of 'The Kerala Story', shows in several multiplexes in Kerala have been reportedly cancelled.

The screening of the controversial flick was cancelled at PVR Cinemas in Oberoi Mall in Kochi, according to a report in Times Now. It is reported that those who booked tickets for 1.25 pm shows on Friday through BookMyShow received messages saying that the show has been cancelled.

The official from the PVR has confirmed the development without citing a reason, the report added. In fact, PVR Cinemas has cancelled the show at Lulu Mall while Cinepolis had cancelled the show earlier.

However, the multilingual flick will be screened in two cinema halls each in Trivandrum and Kochi.

The CPI(M) and the Congress in Kerala have opposed the release accusing the movie of falsely claiming that 32,000 women got converted and radicalised and were deployed in terror missions in India and the world.

Petitions were filed in the Supreme Court, the Kerala High Court and the Madras High Court seeking to halt the release, but the courts have refused to intervene.

The theatre owners from Kerala had told earlier to PTI that they are unperturbed by the controversy around the movie which is expected to be released in 30 screens in the state. The advance booking had met with an average response.

"We do not expect any kind of protests against the film. It is unlikely." He said that the film, which will be screened at the multiplex he owns, has received average bookings as expected from a "small Hindi film like this," the news agency quoted Suresh Shenoy, who runs eight theaters in Kochi including the Shenoy's multiplex, as saying.

Mehta of E4 Entertainment, which is helping to distribute the film in Kerala, has claimed that they were not under any political pressure to not screen the flick. "They are free to show it or not," he said.

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