The Kerala Story released in over 200 screens in US and Canada amid controversy

After its hitting all the charts and becoming a big commercial success, The Kerala Story was released on more than 200 screens in the US and Canada on Friday. The movie is based on the story of three girls who were converted to Islam and ended up joining ISIS.

The director of the Kerala Story, Sudipto Sen, said that the movie is a mission that is beyond the creative boundaries of the cinema. He also said that the country was long in denial mode of the long-existing issue in Kerala.

"The country was in denial of the long-existing issue in the state of Kerala. The Kerala Story is a mission which is beyond the creative boundaries of cinema, a movement that should reach the masses all over the world and raise awareness," Sen told a group of Indian American reporters during a virtual news conference.

The producer of the film, Vipul Shah, said that the film's subject was hidden from the masses and deserved to be put forward in front of the public.

"The film's subject was hidden from the masses and deserved to be told. We made the film to initiate deliberation worldwide," said the producer of the film, Vipul Shah.

The Kerala Story is a very bold, honest, and true film that in the beginning got no support. But now, the movie stands at the point of releasing worldwide with immense box office success in just 6 days, added Vipul Shah.

"This is a very bold, honest and true film which in the beginning got no support, today stands at the point of releasing worldwide with a spectacular box office success in just 6 days," Shah added at the virtual news conference organised by its Impact Advisor Priya Sawant and community leader Vijay Pallod.

Adah Sharma, the lead star of the movie, expressed her opinion on the issue and stressed that the issue must be addressed to end such inhuman practices.

Since its release the movie has been at the center of controversy. One section of the society claims the movie to be propaganda against the minority community, on the other hand, right-wing people are hell-bent on proving the movie as the ultimate truth of Kerala. Several state governments have made the movie tax-free. In contrast, Mamata Banerjee-led government banned the movie in West Bengal.

The movie drew flak for misleading the public with its claim of the conversion of 32,000 girls from Kerala to Islam and their association with ISIS. Later, the movie removed the numbers from its teaser description. The Kerala High Court had ordered the filmmakers to remove the teaser from its publicity campaign, including social media posts.