New Delhi: Multiplexes across Tamil Nadu have cancelled screenings of the controversial film The Kerala Story from Sunday, citing law-and-order issues and poor public response.
The movie, which its makers is inspired by true events, seeks to showcase how several women from Kerala allegedly converted and left their homes for West Asia to join ISIS fighters.
The release of the movie has led to a polarised reaction, with critics including Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan dismissing it as a piece of propaganda, while others — including members of the BJP — have said it comes with a message.
Ahead of the release, intelligence services in Tamil Nadu had warned the state government of potential law-and-order problems stemming from protests against the movie.
Speaking to ThePrint, Panneerselvam, the secretary of the Tamil Nadu Theatre Owners Association, said people were afraid of coming to the theatres because of the outrage over the movie. They are not even coming to watch other movies, he added.
“This isn’t a government decision but an individual call taken by theatre owners, as the mall business has also gone down,” he said when asked about the cancelled screenings.
According to a report in DTNext, once the decision to cancel screenings was made, several online-ticket-booking platforms removed the schedule for this film.
Meanwhile, the Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), a fringe political party in Tamil Nadu, Saturday staged a protest against the release of the movie in Chennai.
They raised slogans and held placards demanding the film be banned. The head of the NTK, Seeman, said if the movie is screened in cinemas despite the protests, they would break the screens.
(Edited by Richa Mishra)
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