UP waives taxes on The Kerala Story; special screening for CM Yogi

NEW DELHI: The BJP government in Uttar Pradesh has waived taxes on ‘The Kerala Story’ – the movie which highlights the plight of Hindu women who were converted to Islam and then recruited in terror ranks.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath and his entire Cabinet will be attending a special screening of the movie. Directed by Sudipto Sen, the movie tells the story of Fatima Ba, a converted Muslim woman who was abducted from her home and turned into an ISIS terrorist, landing in an Afghanistan jail.

Actress Adah Sharma plays the lead role in the movie, which also features Sonia Balani, Yogita Bihani, and Siddhi Idnani.

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The film’s teaser originally claimed that 32,000 women had gone missing from Kerala and joined ISIS – a claim that led to outrage and protests. After a court case, however, the producers removed the claim from their official teaser.

The movie has sparked a political debate, with BJP leaders supporting it while Congress and left-leaning leaders claim it is peddling false numbers and facts. In West Bengal, chief minister Mamata Banerjee has announced a ban on the film, citing concerns over potential violence.

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Banerjee criticized the BJP for “playing with fire” and using “divide and rule” politics, claiming that the party is preparing to release “Bengal Files” after ‘The Kashmir Files’ and ‘The Kerala Story’. She alleges that the BJP is creating communal politics and defaming Kerala and its people.

Amit Malviya, BJP’s co-in-charge for West Bengal, called Banerjee’s decision to ban the film “unfortunate” and raised concerns over civil liberties and freedom of expression. He argued that the movie is a real account of victims who have been used as cannon fodder for ISIS and that the threat has been recognized by two former chief ministers of Kerala.

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Malviya accused Banerjee of indulging in Muslim appeasement and standing with radical elements instead of protecting daughters. He claimed that there was no threat to law and order in Bengal because of the movie and that it was being screened in over a dozen cinema halls in Kolkata alone.

As with any controversial movie that has come out in recent past, ‘The Kerala Story’ has done a pretty decent business on the box office. It has earned more than ₹45 crores in four days of its release – ₹5 crore higher than its budget.