Movies have the power to shape perception of the people watching them. However, some movies, despite portraying misinformed facts, might make people believe what they are watching is reality.
The Kerala Story, directed by Sudipto Sen, has sparked a row, with protesters, including students, opposition parties and youth organisations, among others, calling for a stay on the release of the movie. They have said the film is an attempt to polarise society.
A petition seeking a stay on the movie has even reached the Supreme Court.
The film tells the story of four women who convert to Islam and join ISIS. According to the filmmakers, the movie “unearths” the events behind “approximately 32,000 women” going missing in the southern state. As per them, these women were allegedly converted, radicalised, and deployed in terror missions in India and across the world.
However, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor accused the filmmakers of indulging in “gross exaggeration” and “distortion” of the state’s reality.
The Wire’s Yaqut Ali explains what the film is about and why has it created a controversy across the country.