Amidst all the controversies and an outstanding box office performance, The Kerala Story which has already turned into a national phenomenon was also released for the international audience in 37 countries on Friday comprising more than 200 screens alone in the United States and Canada.
“The country was in denial of the long-existing issue in the state of Kerala. The Kerala Story is a mission which is beyond the creative boundaries of cinema, a movement that should reach the masses all over the world and raise awareness,” stated an elated Sudipto Sen whose directorial venture has created wonders at the box office. He was in conversation with a group of Indian American reporters during a virtual news conference.
Vipul Amrutlal Shah, the producer of the movie remarked, “The film’s subject was hidden from the masses and deserved to be told. We made the film in order to initiate deliberation worldwide.”
He added, “This is a very bold, honest and true film which in the beginning got no support, today stands at the point of releasing worldwide with a spectacular box office success in just 6 days.” The interaction was organised by its Impact Advisor Priya Sawant and community leader Vijay Pallod.
Notably, The Kerala Story which was released on May 5 has minted more than 80 crores at the domestic box office in the first seven days of its release and is speeding towards 100 crore which it already has earned with its worldwide collections.
The multilingual project has been in the news since its trailer was released. It faced opposition from Muslims, liberals and the opposition parties alike who called for a prohibition on its screening. West Bengal’s Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee went as far as to ban it in the state.
The decision was challenged by the filmmakers in the Supreme Court. Now, the court has issued a notice to the government in West Bengal seeking to know the rationale behind the action on the film.
Additionally, there is an unstated ban on the movie in Tamil Nadu. Furthermore, people connected to the movie including its director, are subjected to serious threats and are hence provided police protection as a result.
However, despite all the objections, it is being loved by the masses which is reflected in its tremendous box office success. With such an excellent response, it is projected to effortlessly bring in 200 crores in its second week.
The Kerala Stroy featuring Adah Sharma in the lead role revolves around a Hindu girl, Shalini Unnikrishnan from Kerala who is brainwashed to accept Islam by her Muslim friend, gets married to a Muslim man and goes to Syria along with her spouse where she is sent to the ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) also known as IS (Islamic State) and is tortured there.
