On its fifth day of release, The Kerala Story, which has been subject to protests and restrictions, surpassed 50 crore at the domestic box office. The film grossed 11.14 billion on Tuesday. The film’s total profits in India have now reached 56.86 crore. (Also Read: Anurag Kashyap tweets in response to Mamata Banerjee’s prohibition on The Kerala Story in West Bengal)
Sudipto Sen’s The Kerala Story depicts the forced conversion and recruitment of women from Kerala by the terrorist organization Islamic State (IS). The May 5 release of the film has polarized political discourse. The film features Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Sonia Balani, and Siddhi Idnani.
Taran Adarsh, a film industry analyst, tweeted on Wednesday
The film’s promo sparked controversy after its release. As a “precautionary measure” to maintain law and order, the Theatre and Multiplex Owners Association in Tamil Nadu blocked screenings in the state after the film’s release. Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal, banned the screening of the film to prevent “any incident of hatred and violence.”
Numerous Bollywood stars have lent their support to the film. In apparent reference to the West Bengal government’s decision to prohibit The Kerala Story, filmmaker Anurag Kashyap tweeted, “Whether you agree with the film or not, whether it is propaganda, counter-propaganda, offensive, or not, it is wrong to ban it.”
Only the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has the authority to determine whether or not a film should be released, according to Shabana Azmi. “Those who advocate outlawing #TheKeralaStory are as incorrect as those who advocated banning #LaalSinghChaddha by Aamir Khan. “Once a film has been approved by the Central Board of Film Certification, no one has the right to become an extraconstitutional authority,” she tweeted.
The Kerala High Court refused to impose a prohibition in the state, and the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear an appeal of the high court’s decision next week. The film was granted tax-free status in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, which are governed by the BJP. The administration of Madhya Pradesh was the first to exempt the film from taxation.
