The Kerala Story Controversy: Wondering Why People Are Protesting Film's Release? Here's All You Need To Know

The Kerala Story Controversy: The film helmed by Sudipto Sen faced backlash from the ruling left party and the Congress party for factual inaccuracies. The protestors even submitted a petition seeking a stay on the release of the film, which the Supreme Court eventually refused to entertain.

The Supreme Court directed the petitioners to approach the Kerala High Court, stating that it can consider their request for early disposal of their pleas.

So, here is everything you need to know about The Kerala Story film's controversy:

• The Kerala Story, which has been helmed by Sudipto Sen and produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah, stars Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Sonia Balani, and Siddhi Idnani and is slated to release on May 5.
• The film focuses on forced conversion and claims that around 32,000 women in Kerala converted to Islam and many were taken to ISIS-controlled Syria when the terror group was at the height of its power.
• After the release of the film's trailer, a petition was filed in the Supreme Court seeking a stay on the film's release, citing "hate speech of the worst kind" and "audio-visual propaganda".
• The Supreme Court refused to entertain the pleas on Tuesday, and the bar and bench "There are varieties of hate speeches. This film has got certification and has been cleared by the board."
• The Bench stated, "It's not like a person getting on the podium and starts giving uncontrolled speech. If you want to challenge the release of the movie, you should challenge the certification and through the appropriate forum."
• Shashi Tharoor, the Kerala MP challenged the narrative of the film that depicted the 'heart-breaking stories of 32,000 females' of the southern state and criticized the film's makers for "gross exaggeration and distortion of the Kerala reality".
• Tharoor even posted a tweet offering one crore to anyone who could prove that 32,000 women in Kerala were forced to convert to Islam.
• Pinarayi Vijayan, the kerala Chief minister, slammed the filmmakers and called it "propaganda" by "the Sangh Parivar".
• Following the backlash, protests, and criticism, the film, 'The Kerala Story's' teaser on YouTube was toned down to "true stories of three young girls from Kerala." It initially read as "heartbreaking and gut-wrenching stories of 32,000 females in Kerala."
• The director of the film, Sudipto Sen, and producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah maintained that the film, 'The Kerala Story' is based on true events. News agency PTI quoted Shah as saying, "If we look at the issue, the number of 32,000 is what we have stated, and we are staying by it."

Meanwhile, the film was issued an A certificate by the CBFC after deleting 10 scenes. And now, Tamil Nadu has been put on high alert as a warning was issued to the intelligence agencies that the film's release could lead to widespread protests in the state.