The Kerala Story: Producers Guild of India 'distressed by' state-enforced bans on the film

The Kerala Story released on May 5 and has been banned in some states in the country

The Producers Guild of India has issued a statement objecting to the ban declared on The Kerala Story by various states. This comes a day after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee decided to ban the movie, citing "threat to law and order in the state". Banerjee on Monday ordered an immediate ban on the screening of the controversial film to avoid any incident of hatred and violence.

The Vipul Shah-produced film's reception in the very state that it is based on has also not been welcoming. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan issued a statement against the film before its release. Several multiplexes withdrew screenings of the film before its release on Friday, May 5.

Multiplexes in Tamil Nadu, including those in Chennai, decided on Sunday to stop screening The Kerala Story, which claims to narrate how young Kerala women are falling victims to a conspiracy to convert them to Islam and enlist them in the Islamic State. The controversial film was pulled out after protests in a few cities by Muslim political groups and other political parties, including the Naam Tamilar Katchi, since the film came out on May 5.

The Producers Guild of India has now reacted to the bans and objections to the film. Their statement said, "The Producers Guild of India is distressed by and would like to record its strong objection to state-enforced bans on The Kerala Story. 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."

"We call 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 statement added.

The Kerala Story has been mired in controversy since the time its trailer dropped, and bans in certain states have affected the film's release and exhibition in the country. The film is directed by Sudiptio Sen and stars Adah Sharma in the lead.

Also read: The Kerala Story: After West Bengal bans film, UP makes it tax free