The Producers Guild of India has condemned the state-enforced bans on “The Kerala Story,” stating that only the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has the right to decide whether a film should be released or not. The guild’s statement came after the West Bengal government ordered an immediate ban on the film’s screening in the state, citing the possibility of incidents of hatred and violence. Multiplexes in Tamil Nadu also canceled screenings of the film due to law and order issues and poor public response. The guild emphasized that any film that complies with the statutory requirements set by the CBFC should face no further hurdles in having the public decide on its fate.
“The Kerala Story” is a controversial film directed by Sudipto Sen that depicts how women from Kerala were forced to convert to Islam and recruited by the terror group Islamic State (IS). The film’s release on May 5 sparked a political storm, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi crediting the movie for exposing terror conspiracies and using it to attack the Congress during an election rally in poll-bound Karnataka.
The Producers Guild of India, which has around 150 production banners as members, urged authorities to take note of the trend of films being denied their right to smooth exhibition across the country. It called on relevant authorities to address the frequent phenomenon of films being denied their right to unfettered, nationwide exhibition despite complying with regulatory requirements.
While Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced that the government would make “The Kerala Story” tax-free in the state, the Madhya Pradesh government gave the film tax-free status last week. The film, starring Adah Sharma, was initially portrayed as “unearthing” the events behind “approximately 32,000 women” allegedly missing from Kerala. However, the CPI(M) and the Congress in Kerala claimed that the film falsely claimed that 32,000 women had been converted, radicalized, and deployed in terror missions in India and the world. The filmmakers later changed the figure in the film’s trailer.
The Supreme Court is set to hear a plea against the Kerala High Court order that refused to stay the release of “The Kerala Story” on May 15. The Producers Guild of India’s statement reflects the importance of preserving artistic freedom and ensuring that films comply with regulatory requirements rather than being subjected to arbitrary bans.
