Free Online Access to The Kerala Story in High Definition (HD)
Kerala Story Tamil Movie Download, The 2023 Indian Hindi-language drama film “The Kerala Story,” directed by Sudipto Sen and produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah, features a cast including Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Sonia Balani, and Siddhi Idnani. The narrative revolves around a group of women from Kerala who are compelled to convert to Islam and join the Islamic State. Marketed as a true story, the film is based on the controversial Hindutva conspiracy theory of “love jihad,” claiming widespread conversion of Hindu women to Islam and recruitment into the Islamic State.
Released in theaters on May 5, 2023, “The Kerala Story” achieved a worldwide gross of ₹303.97 crore (US$38 million), securing the position of the fifth-highest-grossing Hindi film of 2023. The film received substantial support from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), prominently featured in their campaigning for the Karnataka assembly election. Despite its commercial success, critics widely panned the film, denouncing it as Islamophobic propaganda.
“The Kerala Story” has not only faced critical backlash but also encountered legal challenges and protests, particularly in Kerala, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu. The controversy surrounding the film extends beyond its cinematic elements, sparking debates on communal narratives and the ethical responsibilities of the film industry.
Unauthorized Online Leak: “The Kerala Story” Available for Free
On the day of its theatrical release, Sudipto Sen’s controversial film, “The Kerala Story,” faced an unfortunate turn as it was leaked online on May 5. The film, featuring a diverse cast from various industries, has been labeled as a political work receiving criticism from many critics and intellectuals. The piracy menace, led by platforms like Tamilrockers and Telegram, swiftly targeted the film, making it available in HD quality for free download on these sites shortly after its cinema debut. This unexpected leak raises concerns about the potential impact on the film’s box office earnings.
Regarded by some as a propaganda-driven production, “The Kerala Story” depicts the plight of three young girls forced to convert to Islam and trafficked to Syria. The film boasts performances from Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Sonia Balani, Siddhi Idnani, and others in significant roles.
The leak of “The Kerala Story” occurred on piracy platforms such as Tamilrockers, Telegram, and Movierulz. These websites are notorious for leaking the latest releases, and unfortunately, this incident is not unique, with several films like Ponniyin Selvan-2, Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan, Shakuntaalam, Bholaa, Bheed, Zwigato, Kabzaa, Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar, Selfie, and Pathaan falling victim to online leaks earlier in the year.
While past efforts have been made to curb piracy, these sites persistently resurface with new domains whenever they are blocked. Tamilrockers, in particular, is known for leaking films just hours before their official release in theaters, posing an ongoing challenge for the film industry and anti-piracy measures.
A must-watch and eye-opener for all girls and their families
A compelling and essential viewing for every girl and their families, ‘The Kerala Story’ unfolds the narratives of three young girls hailing from different parts of Kerala. The focal point is Shalini’s story, depicting her abduction, conversion to Islam, and subsequent radicalization, compelling her to join ISIS as a terrorist.
The film delves into the alleged incidents of radicalization and conversion of young Hindu women to Islam in Kerala, asserting that it reflects the true experiences of three girls from diverse regions in the state. The storytelling is riveting, complemented by stellar performances, a tight screenplay, and precise editing, elevating it to a masterpiece. The unsettling aspect is that these events are portrayed as real occurrences in the country.
An enlightening experience for every girl and their families, making it a must-watch.
Kerala Story Tamil Movie Download Accuracy of facts and premise
The teaser, unveiled on November 3, 2022, introduces the character Fathima Ba, a Hindu Malayali nurse who allegedly converted to Islam and joined the Islamic State, ultimately finding herself in an Afghan jail. Fathima Ba claims to be among 32,000 girls from Hindu and Christian communities in Kerala, purportedly missing and recruited into the Islamic State after conversion to Islam. Director Sudipto Sen has long asserted such claims, with a documentary in 2018 addressing the alleged involuntary mass-conversion of 32,000 Hindu and Christian girls to Islam, portraying it as part of an “international conspiracy” to establish an Islamic state in Kerala.
The film delves into the methods employed to lure innocent youth, especially women, into acts of terrorism through systematic brainwashing, substance abuse, sexual exploitation, and illegal trafficking across borders. Additionally, it addresses concerns related to exclusionist religious fanatics within Islam.
While the film’s narrative draws loose inspiration from the experiences of three women from Kerala—Nimisha Nair, Sonia Sebastian, and Merin Jacob—who converted to Islam and traveled with their husbands to Afghanistan to join the Islamic State between 2016 and 2018, the film’s claimed figures are notably inaccurate.
The numbers are based on mistranslations, misquotes, and misrepresentations of unrelated statistics. Contrary to the film’s assertions, the actual count of Indians joining the Islamic State from the entire country is estimated to be no more than 100-200, with less than a quarter of them hailing from Kerala. Moreover, the figures presented in the film surpass the total strength of the Islamic State.
Facing legal challenges, the filmmakers removed erroneous promotional materials, including the teaser. However, the film persistently repeated the exaggerated claims, at one point increasing the figure to 50,000. In response to ongoing litigation, Sudipto Sen eventually conceded that all figures in the film were fictitious, acknowledging that the narrative was a “fictionalized” portrayal of real-life events.
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Kerala Story Tamil Movie Download Reception
Public protests have erupted against the film in both Kerala and Tamil Nadu, prompting concerns over its reception. The film faced a significant setback in Tamil Nadu, leading to reported actions by the Tamil Nadu Multiplex Association to cease further screenings. The filmmakers contest these claims, alleging political censorship. A parallel fate unfolded in Kerala, where the film encountered challenges and a less-than-enthusiastic response from the audience.
Critical Reception:
On the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, only 14% of the 7 critics’ reviews for the film are positive, with an average rating of 3.5/10.
Saibal Chatterjee from NDTV gave the film a rating of 0.5 out of 5 stars, dismissing it as a “lengthy WhatsApp forward.” He criticized Sudipto Sen’s work as laughably inept and accused it of pursuing an insidious agenda. Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express rated the film 1 out of 5 stars, branding it as a “poorly-made, poorly-acted rant” that portrayed Muslims as absolute evils.
Nandini Ramnath of Scroll.in asserted that the film’s purpose seemed to be propagating Islamophobia, portraying every Muslim character as a fanatic. Anuj Kumar of The Hindu characterized the film as “burlesque” propaganda, accusing it of borrowing its understanding of Islam from “hate-filled Whatsapp groups” and aiming to turn the audience into purveyors of hate by peddling “half-truths.”
Deepanjana Pal, in her review for Film Companion, labeled the film a “Giant Whatsapp forward” that lacked the essence of a film. She criticized it for being political propaganda that demonized Keralite Muslims and exploited contemporary Hindu nationalist anxieties. Pal argued that Sen failed to sensitively address the causes of radicalization and instead preyed upon the grief of real survivors and victims. Sowmya Rajendran, reviewing for The News Minute, rated the film 1 star out of 5, denouncing it as “no-nuance propaganda” where women were objectified as prizes fought over between religions and ideologies by men.
Box Office:
On its opening day, the film grossed ₹8.03 crore in India, ranking it as the fifth-highest opener in India for 2023. As of June 15, 2023, the film has accumulated ₹288.04 crore (US$36 million) in India and ₹15.64 crore (US$2.0 million) overseas, reaching a worldwide gross collection of ₹303.97 crore (US$38 million). This places it as the seventh-highest-grossing Hindi film of 2023. The film found success in northern India but experienced underperformance in the southern regions.
Kerala Story Movie Promotion by the Ruling Party:
“The Kerala Story” garnered support from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its affiliated organization, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The BJP strategically utilized the film for political messaging during the Karnataka assembly elections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi publicly endorsed the film at an election rally in Karnataka, asserting that it had uncovered a “conspiracy” and accusing the Indian National Congress, which opposed the film, of supporting terrorism.
BJP President J. P. Nadda organized special screenings of the film, inviting young Hindu girls to watch it. The film received tax-free status in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, both states governed by the BJP. Organiser, the official mouthpiece of the RSS, described the film as a “dangerous truth.”
Political Opposition:
In Kerala, both the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Indian National Congress, the only two parties to have governed the state since Independence, raised objections to the film, accusing it of spreading “communal misinformation” in alignment with the agenda of the Sangh Parivar. In Tamil Nadu, protests were staged by Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) and multiple Muslim political organizations.
Public Protests:
Public protests erupted in Kerala and Tamil Nadu against “The Kerala Story.” The film faced a setback in Tamil Nadu, leading to the Tamil Nadu Multiplex Association reportedly discontinuing further screenings. However, the filmmakers contested these claims, alleging political censorship. A similar fate befell the film in Kerala.
Bans and Litigation:
In anticipation of the film’s release, several petitions were filed at the Madras High Court, Kerala High Court, and the Supreme Court of India, seeking a ban on the grounds of promoting communal disharmony. Although the courts either declined to hear or dismissed these petitions, the filmmakers were directed to remove all promotional materials, including the teaser, that incorrectly claimed thirty-two thousand girls had converted to Islam and joined the Islamic State in real life.
On May 8, the Government of West Bengal banned the movie, citing it as “hate speech” and referring to adverse intelligence reports indicating increased communal tensions among the audience. The filmmakers contested this decision in the Supreme Court, resulting in a stay on the ban. However, as a compromise, the filmmakers had to incorporate two disclaimers – acknowledging that the figures in the film were inauthentic and that the film was a “fictionalized” portrayal of real-life events.
Conclusion
“The Kerala Story,” directed by Sudipto Sen, faced considerable challenges right from the start. Despite initially claiming to depict a ‘true’ story, the film’s promotional efforts were marred by false information. The team, at first, inaccurately asserted that 32,000 young women from the state were held against their will in ISIS camps, deviating from the actual narrative.
Featuring Adah Sharma, the film achieved notable success at the box office. However, this commercial achievement does not negate the existence of a communal angle or the fact that the film’s initial premise was based on misinformation.
