The Kerala Story by Adah Sharma was not allowed to be screened in West Bengal as of May 8 due to a restriction imposed by chief minister Mamata Banerjee. To the same, Anurag Kashyap has responded.
The Kerala Story, starring Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Siddhi Idnani, and Sonia Balani, opened in theatres on May 5. The film, which was produced by Vipul Shah and directed by Sudipto Sen, received harsh criticism in a number of states. Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal, forbade the film’s showing on May 8 after it was recently suspended in Tamil Nadu. Her choice has gone viral on social media.
While discussing the restriction on Tuesday, filmmaker Anurag Kashyap gave a mysterious hint amid the uproar.
Recently, Mamta Banerjee gave the state chief secretary instructions to ensure that the movie gets taken out of West Bengal theatres. She said that the choice had been made in order to “maintain peace in Bengal” and avoid conflict. Anurag tweeted in response to the restriction in a roundabout way, “You agree with the film or not, be it propaganda, counter-propaganda, offensive or not, to ban it is just wrong.” He added, “You want to fight propaganda. Then go in numbers and see the film that talks against the misuse of social media and how inherent prejudice is weaponized to create hatred and unrest. It’s running in cinemas and is called Afwaah. Go make your voice stronger. Go make a point. That’s the right way to fight.”
Anurag shared his tweets with a quote that read, “I do not agree with what you have to say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it.”
After claiming that 32,000 females from Kerala went missing and joined ISIS, the trailer for The Kerala Story received criticism. Later, the producers modified the title to “the story of three women” from “the story of 32,000 Women.” The Kerala High Court rejected requests to halt the distribution of the movie despite many applications being filed against it.
Shabana Azmi, a seasoned actress, had previously criticized individuals and supported The Kerala Story. Tweeted “Those who speak of banning #The Kerala Story are as wrong as those who wanted to ban Aamir Khan’s #Laal Singh Chaadha. Once a film has been passed by the Central Board of Film Certification nobody has the right to become an extra-constitutional authority.”
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