‘The Kerala Story’: Director claims crew member received threatening message

Sudipto Sen, director of the controversial film, The Kerala Story, has claimed that one the crew members has received a threatening message from an unknown number.

Responding to Sen’s complaint, police have provided security to the concerned crew member. Police, however, said that no FIR has been filed in this regard as they didn’t receive a written complaint.

Sen claimed that the message from the unknown number told the crew member not to step out alone from home. It also said that they hadn’t done a good thing by showing the story.

Also read: The Kerala Story made tax-free in Madhya Pradesh

The movie has generated a lot of controversy after its trailer claimed that 32,000 women from Kerala were enticed to join the terrorist group ISIS. After widespread protests about the fallacious number, the figure in the trailer was changed to three, and they also added that the movie was a work of fiction.

The Supreme Court and the Kerala High Court refused to ban the film.

The Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal is the first state in India to ban the film on May 8, citing “maintenance of peace” and to avoid incidents of “hatred and violence”.

Also read: West Bengal bans ‘The Kerala Story’; Mamata says the film aims at defaming Kerala

The West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee directed the state chief secretary to remove the movie from all theatres where it was being screened.

The producer of the movie, Vipul Amrutlal Shah, said they would pursue legal options against the decision to ban the film in West Bengal.

BJP-ruled states like Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, however, have made the film tax free.

(With inputs from agencies)