The Kerala Story: Producers Guild of India objects state-imposed bans on the film

What happens when a group of women from Kerala get forcefully converted to Islam and are made to join a terrorist organization? This is what the plotline of the film The Kerala Story encircles around. Starring Adah Sharma in the lead role, this plotline has made the film get embroiled in a bunch of controversies. While a section of society complains that a certain religious group has been portrayed in a bad light, some believe that such is not the case as the film broadly focuses on the menace caused by terrorism.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court today agreed to list on May 15, 2023, a plea challenging the Kerala High Court order refusing to stay the release of the controversial film 'The Kerala Story', which hit theatres on May 5, 2023.

In view of these developments, the Producers Guild of India – a premier film, television, and digital content producers' body has issued a statement. In it, the body has condemned the decision of a State (namely West Bengal) to ban the movie. The body also acknowledges the fact that the film has been cleared by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

“The Producers Guild of India is distressed by, and would like to record its strong objection to, state-enforced bans on The Kerala Story,” read the statement.

The body adds, “As emphasized by us on several occasions in the past, film releases are regulated by CBFC and any film that complies with this statutory requirement should face no further hurdles in having the paying public decide on its fate. Of course, the audience can choose to watch or ignore any film but that is a choice that should be theirs to make, not one that is imposed on them by any party other than CBFC.”

The premier body called upon “all the relevant authorities to urgently address this all-too-frequent phenomenon of films being denied their right to unfettered, nation-wide exhibition despite having duly complied with regulatory requirements.”

The Kerala Story is directed by Sudipto Sen and produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah.