‘The Kerala Story’ screened amidst protests in Coimbatore, Chennai

Coimbatore/Chennai: “The Kerala Story”, which has sparked controversy over its alleged portrayal of ‘love jihad’, was screened amidst protests by Muslim outfits in the city on Friday.
The controversial movie was screened in three places in the city — Brookefields Mall, Fun Republic near Peelamedu, and Prozone Mall near Saravanampatti. It was not released in standalone theatres. Police personnel were deployed in front of these malls, anticipating protests.
While members of Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam (TMMK) protested in front of Brookefields Mall in the afternoon, members of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) held an agitation in the evening. Police said 65 protestors from SDPI and 64 from TMMK were detained and later released.
The agitators said the movie paints a community in a bad light, and its screening would disrupt religious harmony in the state. They demanded action against the filmmakers - director and producer - for the alleged false portrayal of a community in the movie.
The film, which has evoked polarising views, has been screened in the backdrop of Tamil Nadu intelligence agencies issuing a warning that the movie might spark a law & order problem in the state. There was a demand to ban the film, but it was not entertained.
However, the state government had directed the deployment of additional police force in places where it was screened to prevent untoward incidents.
All the visitors to malls were allowed entry after a frisking by police. At Prozone Mall, a youth was turned away as he had come with a petrol bottle, reportedly to fill the empty fuel tank of his two-wheeler.
Police seized drinking water bottles of visitors. All the vehicles were thoroughly checked before letting them enter the mall premises.
In addition, mall authorities had roped in private security guards who used metal detectors and frisked the visitors.
In Chennai, members of SDPI staged a flash protest at T Nagar in front of the AGS complex where the movie was screened. A few protesters tore off “The Kerala Story” movie poster on GN Chetty Road. The protesters were removed from the spot by police.
Similarly, there were protests in front of VR Mall in Thirumangalam, near the Royapettah clock tower in front of the Express Avenue Mall, Virugambakkam Inox movie Hall, and outside the PVR cinemas in Velachery.