TN govt giving lame reasons to cancel 'The Kerala Story' shows: Khusbhu

CHENNAI: Actor-politician Khusbhu Sundar on Monday came in support of the recently-released Sudipto Sen's controversial film 'The Kerala Story' and stated that the film reveals blatantly told truth.

Taking a dig, she said that the ruling government is giving lame reasons to cancel the shows in the State.

She took to her official Twitter handle and wrote, "Wonder what scares those who are fighting to ban #TheKeralaStory. The blatantly told truth or the fear of realising of being part of the truth, unknowingly & silently for years. Let people decide what they want to watch. You cannot decide for others. TN govt gives lame reasons to cancel the shows. Thank you for letting people know that it's a must-watch film. #TheKeralaStoryAMustWatch." (sic)

Earlier, the Tamil Nadu Multiplex Association announced its decision to stop screening the film owing to its poor pull and law & order issues.

The film, lapped up by the Hindutva group, received criticism from several political parties and Muslim groups for allegedly portraying the Muslim community and its people in a bad light. They alleged that the film would fan communal tensions in the nation.

Political parties in Tamil Nadu, including Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), threatened to lay siege to cinema halls if the film continues to be screened.

Ever since the film's trailer was released, Muslim groups objected to its plot of 32,000 Hindu and Christian women from Kerala getting converted to Islam and marrying ISIS fighters. While the makers of 'The Kerala Story' claim the plot is based on true incidents, opponents of this film call the number 'an exaggeration.'

Meanwhile, the film has been receiving support from Hindu right-wing groups as it acts as leverage to the 'Love Jihad' narrative.

On May 6, Islamic organisations gathered around the theatre in Coimbatore and protested against the film, and complained that it encourages hatred towards minorities. Various youth outfits in Kerala also staged demonstrations against the film's screening.

'The Kerala Story' stars Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Siddhi Idnani, and Sonia Balani in the lead roles.

The trailer of Sen's film came under fire as it claimed that 32,000 girls from Kerala went missing and later joined the terrorist group ISIS, but, the makers later tweaked the number of missing women in the film from 32,000 to 3. The same is now being reflected in the updated description on the official trailer of the film on YouTube.