‘Will explore legal avenues if…,’ The Kerala Story producer as West Bengal bans the film
2 min read . Updated: 09 May 2023, 08:25 AM IST
PremiumWest Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, The Kerala Story has been banned to avoid any incident of hatred and violence, and maintain peace in the state.
The Kerala Story' is “likely to cause a breach of peace," the West Bengal government said in a notification on Monday explaining why it has prohibited the screening of the film. Reacting to the decision, the film's producer said they will pursue legal options against the decision.
West Bengal became the first state to ban the film, which narrates the ordeal of three women who are trafficked to ISIS camps after being converted to Islam through marriage. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, “It is to avoid any incident of hatred and violence, and maintain peace in the state."
The CM also mentioned 'Kashmir Files', a film on the alleged genocide of Kashmiri Pandits, while speaking about the ban, “What was 'The Kashmir Files'? It was meant purely to humiliate a particular section of society. What is 'The Kerala Story'? It is a distorted story."
She later directed the state chief secretary to remove the movie from all theatres where it is being screened.
Will seek legal avenues: The Kerala Story producer
Reacting to the ban, Vipul Amrutlal Shah, the producer of the film, said they will pursue legal options against the decision.
"If state government won't listen to us, we will explore legal avenues. However, whatever course we take will be based on legal advice," Shah told ANI.
The film "The Kerala Story" produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah and directed by Sudipto Sen has sparked controversy, with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan calling it "RSS propaganda" and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor accusing it of misrepresenting Kerala.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused Congress of supporting terrorists while campaigning in Karnataka.
The film's trailer claimed that 32,000 women from Kerala had joined ISIS, leading to protests and the withdrawal of the figure. The trailer was later changed to focus on the story of three women from Kerala. The film stars Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Siddhi Idnani, and Sonia Balani in lead roles.