Theatres dropped 'Kerala Story' due to poor box of f ice response: Tamil Nadu in SC

NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu informed the Supreme Court that it had made adequate security arrangements to prevent anticipated violent protests by Muslim organisations led by Indian National League against the film 'The Kerala Story' but theatre owners withdrew the movie owing to poor box office response and lack of popular stars in the cast.
With a bench led by CJI D Y Chandrachud scheduled to hear on Wednesday a plea by the film's producer challenging the ban on screening the movie in West Bengal and a 'shadow ban' in Tamil Nadu, the DMK government in an affidavit by the additional DGP (law and order) said theatre owners had withdrawn the film on their own despite adequate security arrangements by the police for its screening.

Theatre owners withdrew movie 'The Kerala Story'owing to poor box office response and lack of popular stars in the cast, Tamil Nadu informed the Supreme Court. Two days before the film's release in Tamil Nadu on May 5, the intelligence department of the police had sent out a message to police stations, saying, "There is every possibility that radical elements and members of religious organisations may resort to violent agitation/protest in front of theatres throughout the state, where the said film is released, urging a ban on the movie, vitiating law and order and communal amity."
It had asked all police stations to take adequate precautions to "avert any untoward incident, and to maintain law and order and communal amity". The state said in its affidavit, "After its release, it appears that multiplex owners took the decision to stop screening the film on May 7 in view of the criticism received by it - lack of well-known actors, poor performances and poor audience response. The state exercises no control over their decision, which was of the theatre owners."
It further said, "Despite objections and protests from a few Muslim organisations, the film was released in 19 multiplexes throughout the state on May 5. The film was heavily criticised after its release, with some Muslim organisations alleging that the film spread 'anti-Muslim hate' and 'Islamophobia' among the common public and has been produced solely with the intent to polarise other religions against Muslims."
The state said that it made adequate security arrangements for safe screening of the film and added, "There is no evidence of the state government's involvement in the decision of theatre owners to discontinue screening of the film."
Watch The Kerala Story: TN govt replies to Supreme Court notice, says it hasn't imposed any ban on film