Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur on Sunday hit out at the opposition parties and said that those opposing the film ‘The Kerala Story’ are supporters of the banned PFI and terror outfit ISIS.
Thakur while addressing a function in Gurugram said that those who are opposing the film are supporting the agenda of terrorist group PFI as well as ISIS.
The senior BJP leader said the “Kerala Story” exposed the conspiracy in which Hindu and Christian girls were forced into militancy.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi In his recent speech in Karnataka, he mentioned the film and said, ‘The Kerala Story’ tries to highlight the consequences of terrorism in the society, especially in a state like Kerala which is a beautiful land of hardworking, talented and intellectual people. Madhya Pradesh has announced that the film will be tax-free in the state, while Uttar Pradesh minister Brajesh Pathak has said that he will not oppose any proposal to grant the same status in the state.
Multiplexes in Tamil Nadu have canceled screening of the controversial film from Sunday citing law and order issues and poor public response.
Let us know what is the controversy behind the film:
What is the story of Kerala based on?
The Kerala Story, directed by Sudipto Sen and produced by Vipul Amritlal Shah, stars Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Sonia Balani and Siddhi Idnani. The film is about forced conversions and allegations that around 32,000 women were converted to Islam in Kerala and many were sent to ISIS-ruled Syria at the height of the terror group’s dominance. Following the release of the film’s trailer, a petition was filed in the Supreme Court seeking a stay on the execution on the grounds of “hate speech of the worst kind” and “audio-visual propaganda”.
Dismissing the petition on Tuesday, the Supreme Court said, “There are many types of hate speech. The film has got certification and has been cleared by the board.” Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan slammed the makers of the film, calling it “propaganda” by the “Sangh Parivar”.
Following the backlash, the film’s promo on YouTube was changed from “The heart-wrenching and harrowing stories of 32,000 women in Kerala…” to “True stories of three young girls from Kerala”.
Why are some parties criticizing the film?
Congress politician Shashi Tharoor criticized the makers of the film for “gross exaggeration” and “distortion” of the state’s realities.
Political parties in Kerala, including the ruling CPI(M) and the Congress, are protesting the “false claims” propagated by the film. They want The Kerala Story to be banned because they believe it is pro-Muslim and defaming Muslims. State.
However, the filmmakers have been vocal in their support of the film. In an exclusive interview, actor Adah Sharma, director Sudipto Sen, and producer Vipul Shah all agreed that the film “targets terrorists rather than the entire Muslim community,” according to a report in india today,
There is controversy over the figures presented in the film as well as the story of one of the protagonists, Fatima Baa, whose story, detractors say, is not complete and is based on snippets.
Vipul Shah had told india today In an interview, “We don’t want to get into a debate on numbers, we want to talk about the issue. We want to draw attention to the human tragedy happening in Kerala and India.”
What do the supporters of the film say?
The BJP has come out in support of the film and claimed that IS recruitment from the southern state cannot be disputed.
“IS has a significant presence in Kerala. You cannot deny IS recruitment from the state.
#Watch , “There is a new type of terrorism which is without ammunition, ‘Kerala Story’ exposes that virulent terrorism. This kind of terrorism does not belong to any state or religion…”: BJP chief JP Nadda on film Talked about ‘The Kerala Story’ after watching the film… pic.twitter.com/lkJcvuJfdD– ANI (@ANI) May 7, 2023
“Movies are not always completely based on facts. Consider the film as one. Check it out first. Why the hurry to stop its screening? Why fear it? Why so much ruckus? Those who don’t want to see it don’t need to,” Surendran said.
The film was also mentioned in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech. While campaigning in Karnataka’s Bellary, Modi had said, “The film ‘The Kerala Story’ tries to highlight the consequences of terrorism in a society, especially in a state like Kerala which is a beautiful land of hardworking, talented and intellectual people.” . The Congress party is now trying to ban the film and support terrorist elements. It only knows how to ban things and completely ignore development. The party has a problem even with me saying ‘Jai Bajrang Bali’.”
PTI contributed to this report
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