It has been over two weeks since the release of Sudipto Sen’s controversial film, The Kerala Story.The movie has sparked heated debates among the public and on social media.
While some believe that the film provides an accurate portrayal of events in Kerala, others argue that it spreads false information as part of a propaganda campaign against the state.
Renowned filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has shown his support for The Kerala Story while criticizing Bollywood for its silence on the film’s overwhelming success.
Varma believes that the movie will have a lasting impact on Bollywood, permeating every discussion room and corporate house like a haunting fog.In a series of tweets, he expressed his astonishment at the film’s triumph, attributing Bollywood’s silence to its comfort with deception and lies.Varma referred to The Kerala Story as a ghostly mirror that exposes the ugly truth about mainstream Bollywood.
The controversy surrounding the film began when its trailer was released, claiming to be based on the stories of over 32,000 women in Kerala who had allegedly been radicalized by Islamic fundamentalists.
However, due to backlash over factual inaccuracies, the makers revised the trailer, stating that the film was based on the true stories of three young girls from different parts of Kerala.In response to the criticism, the filmmakers informed the Supreme Court that they would include a disclaimer acknowledging that there is no verifiable data to support the claim of 32,000 conversions and that the film is a fictionalized account of the events it portrays.
According to industry tracker Sacnilk, The Kerala Story has earned Rs 187.47 crore at the box office.While its collection has been declining since Tuesday, Sacnilk predicts that the film might still make good money on Sunday.Despite the controversy, Sudipto Sen’s film has already become the second highest-grossing movie of the year, surpassing the lifetime collections of Ranbir Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor’s film, Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar, in less than two weeks.
