08-05-2023 : The Kerala Story’s immediate screening ban in the state was imposed by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. According to a senior official, the prohibition was implemented in order to prevent “any incident of hatred and violence”. The movie explores the purported conversion to Islam and recruitment of Keralan women by the terrorist organisation Islamic State (IS).
Any theatre discovered showing the movie will risk legal action. This action led to a verbal battle between the Trinamool Congress (TMC), the ruling party, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The BJP accused the government of appeasing the minority community to serve its political interests, while the TMC charged the BJP with trying to create a “communal narrative” across the country ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Earlier in the day, Banerjee had described ‘The Kerala Story’ as a distorted movie aimed at defaming the southern state. She alleged that the Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI(M) was working with the BJP and, despite being in power in Kerala, did not protest the screening of the movie. Banerjee also accused the BJP of patronizing the film.
However, the BJP argued that the film was against terrorism and IS and exposed their modus operandi. They also questioned whether the TMC was supporting terrorism by banning the film. BJP leader and noted actor Rudranil Sen criticized the TMC’s double standards, as they had opposed the banning of BBC documentaries on Narendra Modi but were now banning a film themselves.
The producer of ‘The Kerala Story’, Vipul Shah, stated that they would take legal action against the ban imposed by the West Bengal government on the screening of the film in the state. The Kerala High Court had previously refused to stay the release and noted that the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) had examined the movie and found it suitable for public exhibition.
The ban on ‘The Kerala Story’ in West Bengal has led to a political confrontation between the BJP and the TMC. While the TMC defends the ban as a measure to maintain peace and avoid violence, the BJP accuses them of appeasing the minority community and suppressing free speech. The controversy surrounding the film highlights the complex dynamics of politics and censorship in India.