Kerala culture and young affairs minister Saji Cheriyan also posted on Facebook, saying, "Kerala is a state known for communal harmony." This film could be interpreted as the Sangh Parivar's attempt to dismantle the secular fabric of the state. This is a

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Kerala culture and young affairs minister Saji Cheriyan also posted on Facebook, saying, "Kerala is a state known for communal harmony." This film could be interpreted as the Sangh Parivar's attempt to dismantle the secular fabric of the state. This is a plot to split society and sow discord."

Digital Desk: The Kerala Story has generated a lot of interest since it allegedly relates the story of how thousands of young women were misled into joining the Islamic State (IS) and travelling to places like Syria and Afghanistan. It focuses on the unproven assertion that 32000 women from Kerala joined IS, despite the fact that government records indicate no such data.

Kerala's ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), opposition United Democratic Front (UDF), and respective youth organizations have all spoken out against the film's release in the state. The Kerala Congress has also spoken out against the film.

Exhibitors Say No Censorship?

Members of the Film Exhibitors United Organization of Kerala (FEUOK) have now declared that banning The Kerala Story was pointless because the audience will see it anyhow when it was released on OTT. Suresh Shenoy, a FEUOK office bearer who runs a theatre complex in Kochi, reportedly told the media that banning a film was not a good precedent. He went on to say that this constituted censorship.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan stated on April 30 on Facebook that the film was created by the Sangh Parivar to disseminate misinformation. "A glance at the trailer gives the impression that the movie was purposefully produced with the goal of communal polarisation and spreading hate propaganda against Kerala," the CM remarked. It is duplicating the Sangh Parivar's rhetoric by designating Kerala, the home of secularism, as the epicentre of religious extremism. Propaganda films and othering of Muslims should be considered in the light of the Sangh Parivar's varied endeavours to gain an advantage in Kerala electoral politics."

Some actors have also stated that the films should not be banned.

The Kerala Story is written and directed by Sudipto Sen and will release in theatres on May 5. It is written by Suryapal Singh, Sudipto Sen and Vipul Amrutlal Shah.