Case filed against 'Kerala Story'; says it 'promotes Muslim hatred, defames state’

A case has been registered against the makers of Kerala Story, an upcoming film about Kerala women being trafficked to Syria to join ISIS.

Based on a complaint filed by a Chennai based journalist to the Chief Minister of Kerala, an FIR has been lodged under IPC sections 153 A and B (promoting enmity between communities) against the director and producer of the film in Kerala capital Thiruvananthapuram.

The teaser of the film which was released in the first week of November and shared on social media evoked criticism that the film was propagating hatred against Muslims.

In the teaser, a burqa-clad woman (Adah Sharma) introduces herself as Shalini Unnikrishnan who was forcibly converted to Islam and name changed to Fatima Ba and was sent to join ISIS. Shalini Unnikrishnan, in the teaser, says that 32,000 girls have been trafficked to join ISIS and have become slaves to ISIS militants.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udoCRDjqxv8

BR Aravindakshan, a Chennai-based journalist, filed complaints with Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur, the Chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification and the Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan.

“It is clear from the teaser that the film is intended to promote hate. The teaser claims that the film is based on true events, but the story of 32,000 girls trafficked for ISIS is apparently a lie. This is part of the consistent hate campaign against Kerala, being carried out by the right wing groups,” Aravindakshan told The Federal.

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The teaser of the film directed by Sudipto Sen and produced by Vipul Shah was released on November 4 on YouTube by Sunshine Pictures.

Aravindakshan told The Federal that he had requested the Censor Board to verify the claims in the movie before issuing certificate. “The Board should make verification about this film that depicts India as a terrorist country in the world,” says Aravindakshan.

He urged the I&B Ministry and the Censor Board to impose a total ban on the film until the director submitted official documents to prove the veracity of the claims made in the film.

Aravindakshan received an acknowledgement of the receipt of his complaints from the Kerala Chief Minister only. “I am yet to receive any response from the I&B Ministry as well as the Censor Board,” he told The Federal.

Dr John Brittas, a Rajya Sabha MP, also wrote to the ministry of home affairs urging swift action.

“The teaser claims to be depicting the story of 32,000 women from Kerala who were radicalised to join terrorist organisation ISIS which is absolutely rubbish and fallacious. Such dissemination of grossly false information may lead to inconceivable repercussions and unrest in the society and the same will amount defame to the state as well,” Brittas wrote in his letter to Home Minister Amit Shah.

‘This claim of 32,000 women being converted and radicalised to join ISIS is devoid of any merit,” says Brittas. “Even the factual data shared by the authorities depict a different picture. The Union Home Ministry puts the number at 155 all over the country,” he said in the letter.