The Kerala Story banned in West Bengal: IMPPA calls it violation of freedom of expression

The Kerala Story is currently mired in controversy in some states in India. Protests are being taken out in Tamil Nadu against its release. The Sudipto Sen directorial has been banned in West Bengal. Now the Indian Motion Pictures Producers Association (IMPPA) has issued a statement against calls over the film ban. 

As per news agency ANI, IMPPA condemned the banning of The Kerala Story in West Bengal. IMPPA said that banning of The Kerala Story in the state is “a serious violation of the freedom of expression." There have been polarising views on The Kerala Story, with many praising it while others condemning it. Check out the tweet from IMPPA below.

Indian Motion Pictures Producers Association (IMPPA) condemns the ban of movie 'The Kerala Story' in West Bengal

This is a serious violation of the freedom of expression: IMPPA

— ANI (@ANI) May 9, 2023

Producers Guild of India opposes ban on The Kerala Story 

The Sudipto Sen directorial, backed by producer Vipul Shah, received some support from the Producers Guild of India. In a statement issued by the organisation on Twitter, the PGI expressed “strong objection” to the banning of The Kerala Story by certain Indian states. The statement read, "The Producers Guild of India is distressed by, and would like to record its strong objection to, state-enforced bans on The Kerala Story."

It continued, " As emphasized by us on several occasions in the past, film releases are regulated by CBFC and any film that complies with this statutory requirement should face no further hurdles in having the paying public decide on its fate. Of course, the audience can choose to watch or ignore any film but that is a choice that should be theirs to make, not one that is imposed on them by any party other than CBFC. We call upon all the relevant authorities to urgently address this all-too-frequent phenomenon of films being denied their right to unfettered, nationwide exhibition despite having duly complied with regulatory requirements”. Here is the tweet from the PGI. 

Official Statement by Producers Guild of India pic.twitter.com/im36aRX9WP

— Producers Guild of India (@producers_guild) May 9, 2023

What is The Kerala Story controversy? 

The Kerala Story, which features Bollywood actress Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Sonia Balani, and Siddhi Idnani, is based on the conversions of around 32,000 women to Islam within the state of Kerala. It also outlines how the women who are converted are then forced into terrorism. The film, upon the release of its trailer, faced a petition, which sought a stay on its release. The petition claimed that the film was the “worst kind of hate speech” and was purely “audio-visual propaganda.” The SC allowed the film to release on May 5, as per schedule. 

The Kerala Story is also receiving opposition from political parties such as the CPI(M) and the Congress. Several party affiliates have stated that the film is based on a “false claim”. Regardless, the film’s producer Vipul Shah and director Sudipto Sen have remained outspoken about the bans and the protests.