Kamal Haasan terms ‘The Kerala Story’ propagandist, says 'I am against. . .'

Veteran actor Kamal Haasan has reacted to the controversy surrounding ‘The Kerala Story’ movie. The actor is in Abu Dhabi to receive the Outstanding Achievement in Indian Cinema award at IIFA 2023. 

The controversy surrounding ‘The Kerala Story’ movie started when its trailer claimed that 32,000 women from Kerala had gone missing and joined the terrorist group ISIS. This statement triggered a heated political debate and many leaders questioned the veracity of the claim.

During a media interaction, Kamal Haasan said, 'The Kerala Story', he said, "I told you, it's a propaganda film that I am against. It's not enough if you write true story just at the bottom as a logo. It has to really be true and that is not true."

He added, "It's not enough that you say based on a true story because that what everyone does. I think, you have to hit the true cord in audience that kind of cinema is not one kind of cinema. There is mono culture, is not the great thing specially in art. So all kind of cinema should come over. And I am a great fan of smaller movies. Like babies that grow up to be something really big. I also became a star by these kind of smaller films which made it big with audience. Awards are different thing. I am talking about audience accepting it much before the award jury grand them the honour." "I'm as proud as if I have produced it. It made me so much happy that it made Mani Ratnam happy. We are working and producing the next project together," the screen icon said.

'The Kerala Story' has been facing criticism by political parties due to its storyline.

'The Kerala Story' stars Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Siddhi Idnani and Sonia Balani in the lead roles.  Directed by Sudipto Sen, "The Kerala Story" has polarised the political discourse in the country as it depicts how women from Kerala were forced to convert and recruited by the terror group Islamic State (IS).