Sudipto Sen's latest release ‘The Kerala Story’ has been embroiled in controversies since its release. Many politicians have demanded a ban on the Adah Sharma starrer that depicts the story of a group of women from Kerala who converted to Islam and joined the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). After Tamil Nadu, ‘The Kerala Story’ has now been banned in West Bengal. Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee has reportedly sent a notice to the state secretary asking him to get the film removed from the screens.
Mamta Banerjee explained that she has ordered a ban on the film to “avoid any incident of hatred and violence and also to maintain peace in the state. She even called the film a “distorted movie” which aims at defaming the southern state. Now producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah has reacted to the ban on his film in West Bengal. Addressing the media at a press conference, he said he will take legal action. Vipul was quoted saying, “If that is what she has done, we will take legal action. Whatever is possible under the provisions of law, we will fight.” ALSO READ: Kangana Ranaut Comes Out In Support Of Shabana Azmi After She Questioned People Demanding A Ban On ‘The Kerala Story’
#WATCH | Reacting on his film #TheKeralaStory being banned in West Bengal, film's producer Vipul Shah says, "If that is what she has done, we will take legal action. Whatever is possible under the provisions of law, we will fight." https://t.co/FY3Qz8cljK pic.twitter.com/LeY23flUOg
— ANI (@ANI) May 8, 2023
Speaking about the losses the film is expected to face because of the ban, Shah explained, “We will not talk about profit or loss now, we will only try to ensure that more and more people watch the film. If a state government or a private person will try to stop the film, then we will try every legal route possible.”
Interestingly, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has declared ‘The Kerala Story’ tax-free in the state. Also, the Kerala High Court has refused to stay the release of the controversial film saying the trailer does not contain anything offensive to any particular community as a whole.
Having released on 5th May, ‘The Kerala Story’ is doing decent business at the box office as it earned Rs 35 crore in its opening weekend and is expected to see growth in the coming days.