'The Kerala Story': Producer agrees in court to remove teaser claiming 32000 women from Kerala were recruited to ISIS

Adah Sharma in a still from `The Kerala Story`

Sudipto Sen and Vipul Amrutlal Shah's upcoming film 'The Kerala Story' has been embroiled in a controversy ever since the teaser of the film dropped in November 2022. The protest against the film only intensified after the release of its trailer on April 26. On Friday, the Kerala High Court refused to stay the release of the film which hit the theatres today. However, the makers have agreed to remove teaser claiming that over 32,000 women from Kerala were recruited to ISIS.

On Friday, the Division Bench comprising Justice N. Nagaresh and Justice Sophy Thomas recorded the submission of the producer that the teaser of the movie, which claimed that 32000 women were recruited to ISIS from Kerala will be removed from their social media accounts. The film directed by Sudipto Sen is backed by Vipul Amrutlal Shah and stars Adah Sharma in the lead.

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The bench also watched the trailer of 'The Kerala Story' and said that there is nothing offensive to any particular community in it. While refusing the stay of the film, the court observed that none of the petitioners have watched the film and that the producers have added a disclaimer that the film is a fictionalised version.

"There is something called freedom of speech and expression. They have artistic freedom, we have to balance that also," Justice Nagaresh orally stated as reported by Live Law.

"What is there in the film that is against Islam? There is no allegation against a religion, but only against the organization ISIS," Justice Nagaresh said.

"This is fiction. There are no ghosts or vampires, but there are a large number of movies showing the same." the Court remarked during the hearing. "There are many movies in which Hindu Sanyasis are shown as smugglers and rapists. No one says anything. You may have seen such movies in Hindi and Malayalam. In Kerala we are so secular. There was a movie where a pujari spit on an idol and no problem was created. Can you imagine? It is a famous award-winning movie", Justice Nagaresh orally said during the hearing on Friday morning.

Also Read: Amid controversy, makers of 'The Kerala Story' change description of teaser on YouTube