'The Kerala Story' is not against Muslims, says producer

A low-budget Bollywood film about young women recruited by the militant Islamic State has stirred up passionate debate, helping to make it work at the box office in India.

The Kerala Story, set in the coastal southern state of the same name, follows three women who are indoctrinated, converted and sent to the militant IS camps. However, its producer has now commented that the film is not against Muslims. In an interview with Rediff, Vipul Amrutlal Shah stressed that The Kerala Story "is not against Muslims or Islam, it's against terrorists." 

He also added, "This film is not against a particular religion or caste. What has been most satisfying is that some people were posting angry, nasty and abusive messages against the film. Three of them have publicly apologised on the same platform after seeing the film, calling it a fantastic film."

Shah further stated, "That's a very big vindication or validation of what we have been saying. I'm sure, with time, as temperatures go down, people will understand that this film is not against anyone, it's against terrorism. And we are appealing to all those who are against terrorism, to join us in our fight."

Shah then reacted to the ban on his film in West Bengal. Talking about it and about theatre owners in Tamil Nadu stopping the screening, he told ANI, “If that is what she has done, we will take legal action. Whatever is possible under the provisions of law, we will fight.”

The Tamil Nadu Theatre and Multiplex Owners Association on Sunday blocked screenings in the state as "a precautionary measure" to maintain law and order. However, the Kerala High Court has refused to impose a ban in the state where the film is set, saying it was "inspired by true events." The Supreme Court is set to hear an appeal against the high court's order next week.

The Hindi-language film, starring relative unknowns, has racked up more than 450 million rupees ($5.50 million) in ticket sales since its theatrical release on Friday, a rarity in Bollywood, according to figures compiled and posted by trade analyst Taran Adarsh on Twitter.

"The box office is tough these days, but The Kerala Story is defying norms with its box office success," producer and industry analyst Girish Johar said in an interview. It is easily among the top 10 films in terms of opening numbers this year."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the film by director Sudipto Sen, saying it showed the consequences of terrorism. Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, two states ruled by his Bharatiya Janata Party, have exempted the film from state taxes, making tickets cheaper.

Critics, however, say the film incites negative sentiments against the country's minority Muslim population. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee has banned it from the state "to avoid any incident of hatred and violence," she said, calling it a "distorted story."

Previously, the makers of the movie updated the description on YouTube and changed '32,000 women' to 'three women'. Earlier, the description said the movie is about the "heartbreaking and gut-wrenching stories of 32,000 females in Kerala'. Now it says, "A spine-chilling, never told before the true story - revealing a dangerous conspiracy that has been hatched against India. The Kerala Story is a compilation of the true stories of three young girls from different parts of Kerala."

On the change of the description of the movie, Film's producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah told PTI that the film is about three women, though the makers stand by the number of 32,000.

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