Amid widespread hue and cry, Indian actress Shabana Azmi and actor Anupam Kher support the screening of the controversial movie ‘The Kerala Story’.
The story is based on teenage girls being forced to convert to Islam and join Islamic Forces in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The trailer showed the girls were happy when in shalwar kameez and then look petrified when clad in Abaya. The film claims that around 32,000 Christian and Hindu women converted to Islam and some were forced to join ISIS.
Those who speak of banning #The Kerala Story are as wrong as those who wanted to ban Aamir Khan’s #Laal Singh Chaadha. Once a film has been passed by the Central Board of Film Certification nobody has the right to become an extra constitutional authority .
— Azmi Shabana (@AzmiShabana) May 8, 2023
The film has spurred widespread condemnation in India as the film is accused of stoking communal tensions and religious divide in India. Calls have been made to ban the screening of the movie in several states of India. The movie has received approval from hardliners and also from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A group believes the portrayal is accurate.
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Tamil Nadu Multiplex Association announced its decision to stop screening the movie in the state amid protests and low audience turnout. The chief minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, also slammed the makers of the movie, saying that the film creates communal polarisation and spreads hate propaganda against the state.
Veteran Indian actor Shabana Azmi supported the movie and said that “Those who speak of banning #The Kerala Story are as wrong as those who wanted to ban Aamir
Khan’s #Laal Singh Chaadha. Once a film has been passed by the Central Board of Film Certification nobody has the right to become an extra-constitutional authority,” in a tweet.
Anupam Kher said in an interview with ANI that he has not watched the film yet but he is happy that such films are being made that are close to reality. “And those who feel it is propaganda are free to make movies dealing with the subject they find perfect. No one is stopping them,” he argued.