Around six cinemas in the state of Kerala did not screen The Kerala Story from yesterday (5th May) fearing damage to their properties by agitators. It is well-known that the controversial film talks about the thousands of conversions of Hindu and Christian girls in Kerala to Islam and their deployment to spread terrorism around the world. Except for the BJP, several other political parties have been up in arms against the film ever since its bold trailer was released a few days ago. There were petitions filed in the Kerala high court as well as the Supreme Court to either stall the film’s release or to make the producers include a disclaimer that the film was a fictionalised account of events. Neither court granted the petitioners relief.
Although 28 cinemas in Kerala were finalised for the release of the film from 5th May, only 22 are finally screening it. A source said that the cinemas, which cancelled the film’s screening at the eleventh hour, belonged to PVR Inox and Cinepolis national multiplex chains. Another source opined that it was the fear of vandalism which prompted the national chains to refrain from screening the film. Incidentally, the release in the rest of the cinemas in Kerala was peaceful, with no untoward incidents being reported.
