Shabana Azmi on The Kerala Story: People calling for a ban on the film are ‘as wrong as people who wanted to ban Laal Singh Chadha’

After being mired in several controversies, Sudipto Sen’s The Kerala Story has finally been released, leaving the audience divided on whether the film perpetuates a false narrative or not. Lashing out at those calling for a boycott of the film, veteran actress Shabana Azmi has come in support of the film, claiming that the people who want a ban on the film are ‘as wrong as those who wanted to ban Laal Singh Chadha last year’.

Also read: Adah Sharma's The Kerala Story’s overseas release date announced 

The actress took to Twitter recently and wrote, “Those who speak of banning #The Kerala Story are as wrong as those who wanted to ban Aamir Khan’s #Laal Singh Chadha. Once a film has been passed by the Central Board of Film Certification, nobody has the right to become an extra-constitutional authority.”

The film garnered much attention after the release of its trailer, which claimed that 32,000 people went missing in Kerela to join a terrorist group. A section of people demanding a ban accuse the film of propagating a false narrative, after which the makers tweaked the numbers and claimed in the film’s description that it is the story is of three women from Kerela.

Also read: The Kerala Story on OTT: Where to watch the Adah Sharma starrer film after its theatrical run 

According to reports, cinema owners in Kerala and Tamil Nadu have refrained from screening the film. Despite calls for a ban and protests, the Kerala High Court has refused to stay the release of the film. The court stated that the film's trailer did not contain anything offensive to any particular community as a whole. It has been legally settled that once a film is certified by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), there is no valid case to ban it.

Also starring Yogita Bihani, Siddhi Idnani and Sonia Balani, the film released in theatres on May 5.