Kerala Story Review | A Polarized Story Unsupported by Solid Facts

Months before its release, Sudipto Sen’s “Stories from Kerala” claimed that 32,000 young Christian and Hindu girls in the state had been brainwashed over the years to join the Islamic State (IS). doing. The director reiterated that statement in a widely followed interview, even referring to the character in the film’s trailer.

But just a few days ago, the filmmakers changed the trailer’s description on YouTube and reduced their number to three, thereby dispelling the claim that this is actually a “Kerala” story. .

Neither political opposition nor legal avenues can stop the film from opening on May 5, but insufficient facts and negative portrayals of Muslims may keep audiences away from theaters. is the highest. Passable acting and publicity-level dialogue only help the hasty departure.

The film revolves around three girls: Shalini (Ada Sharma), Geetanjali (Siddhi Idnani) and Nima (Yogita Bihani). They are joined by Asifa (Sonia Barani), who has diabolical plans to convert to Islam.
Asifa’s intolerance of Hindu gods and Christian beliefs makes her look pathetic. This unfair treatment seems to serve the purpose of religious polarization rather than trying to create a character with shades of gray.

Don’t miss the left wing. As the film begins, one of the girl’s girlfriends, Gitanjali, proudly claims that her father is an atheist and a communist. She even quotes the phrase “religion is the opiate of the masses,” which is often attributed to Karl Marx. I implied that I might have been keeping her safe.

This is not creative freedom, this is religious propaganda at its best. The whole idea of ​​the movie doesn’t seem to reveal how ISIS invaded the country. But by putting IS behind the scenes, the director paints the whole community as a mess.

Although the main character is shown as Malayalam, the title itself is too pretentious as he is not fluent in Malayalam. Just because three Malayans from different parts of Kerala joined the institute and fell prey to radicalization, it cannot be called a “Kerala story”.

Originally based in Kerala, the filmmakers were unsuccessful in conveying that the film was set in Kerala, but some elements were portrayed as the state’s story. Despite Sen’s best efforts, we have nothing to do with the Marayari girls or the story.