2nd May 2023: A screening of the film ‘The Kerala Story’ was organised at Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University on Tuesday by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), a right-wing student organisation. However, this event triggered a protest by a left-wing student group.
Directed by Sudipto Sen, ‘The Kerala Story’ is set to be released in cinemas on May 5. But the movie is facing stiff opposition in Kerala, where several political parties are opposing its release. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has also criticised the film’s makers for taking up the Sangh Parivar propaganda of projecting the state as a centre of religious extremism by raising the issue of ‘love jihad’.
The screening was conducted amid a protest called by the Students Federation of India (SFI) on the campus. The students’ outfit had released a statement condemning the movie as “propaganda” that would “tarnish the fabric of secular ethos”.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court refused to entertain a plea seeking a stay on the release of the film on Tuesday, citing that it had received certification and clearance from the board. The court stated that if anyone wanted to challenge the movie’s release, they should do so through the appropriate forum.
The Congress also demanded a ban on the film, claiming that it aimed to defame the state at the international level. The film stars Addah Sharma in the lead role and has been directed by Sudipto Sen. Despite the opposition it faces, the movie is set to be released on May 5.