Ever since its release, The Kerala Story has been making headlines for several reasons. Starring Adah Sharma in the lead, the film revolves around the stories of Hindu women from Kerala who were converted to Islam and trafficked to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). While The Kerala Story has managed to earn over Rs 200 crores at the box office, the controversy surround the film is far from over.
In a recent interview with News18 Showha, The Kerala Story’s Impact Advisor Priya Samant revealed that the film has been released in about 200 theatres across the United States, but some people have “their own apprehensions” about watching it, owing to the controversy. The Kerala Story has been facing backlash from a section of political parties and groups that have claimed the film is not based on facts, and propagates hatred against the Muslim community.
“Because of the reach of social media, some people have their own apprehensions about watching this subject when it has created a buzz which is not just positive but also negative. But the truth is always very controversial. We have to understand the truth that this story is trying to highlight. It is not only about terrorism. The story is not just focused on this. Yes, it is one very essential aspect of it but human rights issues and women’s rights are also important aspects of the movie. It is very necessary to watch movies first before making judgments,” Priya said, whose job as an impact advisor is to ‘create awareness’ around the movie.
“We live in a democracy. Everyone has a right to voice his/her opinion. But what I say is, one should educate oneself and the best way for that is to go and watch the movie. Then you can decide whether it is right or wrong,” she added.
However, Priya also claimed that ever since its release in the United States, the number of shows for The Kerala Story has increased there. “People are making t-shirts, posters, shows are getting added. That is really great,” she expressed.
Priya further explained that The Kerala Story is a ‘global issue that humanity is facing’. “They have only shown Kerala as a state because they (Vipul Shah, Sudipto Sen) are Indian filmmakers. India is just a country they have shown but this is a global problem. The US, Europe and several other countries also have this problem. Even in other countries, girls have been the victim of terrorism. So, one should not negate the fact that it is all about humanity. Look at from the angle of humanity what this film is trying to highlight and I know, when such things are highlighted, people always watch it,” she told us.
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