'The Kerala Story' team will get 'unimaginable hate': Vivek Agnihotri

MUMBAI: Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri on Saturday told cast and crew of 'The Kerala Story' that their lives will not be the same as they "will receive unimaginable hate".

Taking to Twitter, the filmmaker posted a note telling the team of 'The Kerala Story' about the "bad news."

"CINEMA AND INDIC RENNIASANCE: The Kerala Story. I grew up listening to great filmmakers and cinema critics that the only purpose of art is to provoke people into questioning their own beliefs and biases. I also grew up listening that cinema reflects the reality of a society. I was told that cinema must destroy old Gods and create new Gods," Vivek started the thread on Twitter.

"I have come to realise that in modern times, cinema has the power to do what media and politics can't do. It can present uncomfortable reality, correct history, fight culture war and also become the soft power of a nation for larger interest. In India, making such cinema is not easy."

"I tried it with Buddha in A Traffic Jam, The Tashkent Files and The Kashmir Files. I have been physically, professionally, socially and psychologically assaulted."

He said that his forthcoming film 'The Vaccine War', a positive film, celebrating India's greatest achievement, is constantly being attacked.

"Mostly by the same people who taught me all the above. When it releases, later this year, I can guarantee they will attack it with a new design because they don't want India to succeed. Because Truth must not be told. Bharat must not be celebrated," added the filmmaker.

Lending support, he added: "Dear Vipul Shah & @sudiptoSENtlm, @adah_sharma and team of #TheKeralaStory, first let me congratulate you for the brave effort. At the same time, let me also give you the bad news that from here on, your lives will not be the same. You will receive unimaginable hate.

"Your will feel suffocated. Many times you may get confused and demoralised. But remember, God tests the shoulders on which he can put the responsibility of becoming the change agents," he tweeted.

"If cinema is a medium to follow your course of Dharma, never stop. Let the community of Indic storytellers grow. Help new, young talented, Indic storytellers. Let this Indic Renaissance become the guiding light of a New Bharat. And whenever you feel nobody is understanding you, remember Gurudev's lines: Ekla Chalo Re. Best. Always. With love, VRA," concluded his post.

'The Kerala Story' has been written and directed by Sudipto Sen and stars Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Siddhi Idnani and Sonia Balani.

It got into controversy after the trailer of the film stated that 32,000 girls from the state went missing and later joined the terrorist group, IS.