Sudipto Sen's The Kerala Story in trouble, complaint registered against the makers

It looks like director Sudipto Sen's upcoming film The Kerala Story is under trouble. The Kerala Police Chief has directed the Thiruvananthapuram Police Commissioner to register a complaint against the film for allegedly portraying the state as a bustling haven of terrorists. A copy of the complaint was also sent to Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan who is said to have forwarded it to the DGP. The teaser of The Kerala Story, which was released recently, claims that 32,000 women from Kerala were taken to Islamic State in Syria, converted into Islam and radicalised in the last decade.

A case has been registered under Sections 153 A &B (promoting disharmony and enmity between different groups based on the ground of faith) and other sections of the Indian Penal Code. The Kerala Police has found that the teaser intends to spoil the image of the state and fuel hatred between communities.

Click below for the teaser.

A Tamil Nadu-based journalist BR Arvindakshan has also written to the Central Board of Film Certification chief Prasoon Joshi and other members of the board seeking a ban on the movie, unless they support their claim with evidence. The journalist had asked the team to investigate the veracity of the teaser, according to his Twitter post. He also sent a letter to the state's CM Pinarayi Vijayan stating that the film acts against the unity and integrity of the country and that it also tarnishes the reputation of the intelligence agencies in the country along with the state's image. The Kerala Story is produced by VA Shah and has Adah Sharma in the lead.

The teaser featured a woman (Adah) who identified herself as Shalini Unnikrishnan alias Fathima Ba, who wanted to become a nurse, but was converted into Islam and chosen as one among the 32,000 converted women from the state sent to join the IS. Many have billed it as a propaganda film with malicious intentions to tarnish the image of a community and state.