The Kerala Story: Know states that declared movie tax free vs states that banned controversial film

The Kerala Story has come out to be one of the most controversial movies of 2023, with topics such as ISIS, religious conversion, and love jihad being mentioned in the film, triggering a political outrage and strict response from some state governments.

Slamming the contents of the movie, some states have decided to ban the screening of The Kerala Story in their state to prevent the spread of hatred, while some states have come out to support the movie, making the movie tickets tax free in their states.

Till now, The Kerala Story has been banned in two states and has been declared tax free in two states. The makers of the movie have clarified that while The Kerala Story has been inspired by true incidents, the numbers and the incidents of the film have been exaggerated and dramatized.

Which states have banned The Kerala Story?

West Bengal

The West Bengal government led by CM Mamata Banerjee has banned the screening of The Kerala Story in the state. The chief minister said, “What is ‘The Kashmir Files?’ it is to humiliate one section. What is ‘The Kerala Story? It is a distorted story.”

Tamil Nadu

The Multiplex Owners Association in Tamil Nadu has decided to stop the screening of The Kerala Files from all the cinema halls as a “precautionary measure”, due to the sensitive nature of the film.

States that have declared The Kerala Story tax-free

Madhya Pradesh

BJP-led Madhya Pradesh was the first state to declare The Kerala Story as a tax-free movie, meaning that the tickets will be at a discounted price, saying that the movie raises awareness about the menace of ‘love jihad’.

Uttar Pradesh

The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh declared The Kerala Story tax free on Tuesday, and said that he would watch the movie with his cabinet ministers on Friday this week.

Uttarakhand

The BJP-led Uttarakhand government declared The Kerala Story tax free in the state, sparking a massive backlash from opposition leaders from the Congress party, who have termed the movie as a “propaganda film”.