The Kerala Story trending everywhere, except in Kerala!

BY ITS SECOND WEEK, THE FILM LEFT MOST THEATRES IN KERALA, GIVING WAY TO THE MASSIVELY POPULAR JUDE ANTHANY JOSEPH DIRECTORIAL TITLED 2018, WHICH INCIDENTALLY RELEASED ON THE SAME DATE.

- Asha Prakash

The Sudipto Sen film The Kerala Story has created quite a stir in the country, with the Prime Minister himself endorsing it in a pre-poll speech in Karnataka recently. And the box office records of nearly 200 crores made it too big to be ignored by major film critics and leaders.

The film had courted controversy right during the release of its trailer, which claimed that 32000 women from Kerala had been recruited to the militant Islamic group ISIS. The makers later changed the number to three, after facing severe backlash, asking for proof to substantiate the original number. Whether the film is fictional or not remains hazy still, with the makers going back and forth on the issue.

Post the release, while some States sought to ban the film, Madhya Pradesh made it tax-free. Free screenings were organised for college girls by Hindu groups in Bangalore while at the Kollur Mookambika Temple at Udupi, Karnataka, banners were put up with the message, 'Malayalee devotees welcome to Mookambika. If you want your generations to be the devotees of Maa Mookambika, please watch The KERALA Story.' Social media abounds with comments for and against the movie, with right-wing supporters lauding it as an 'eye opener' which 'every Hindu girl should watch'. During a promotional event of the film, the lead actress of the film, Adah Sharma, can be seen starting off by saying that she's a proud Hindu girl, which is welcomed with loud cheers and applause from the audience.