Amid a massive uproar on social media and from the opposition block, The Kerala Story was streamed at Doordarshan on Friday. The Kerala Story was telecasted on Doordarshan at 8 pm (IST) despite Kerela CM's request not to air the movie. The Kerala Story's streaming on Doordarshan came months after it was released on Zee5. While it is normal for any movie to be airing on TV after its OTT release, The Kerala Story is undoubtedly among the most controversial movies. Before it was released on OTT, The Kerala Story makers had accused a lobby in Bollywood to isolate them and unite streaming platforms to not buy the digital rights of the movie. However, after the controversy settled, Zee5 released the movie and The Kerala Story once again became the talk of the town. Now, the question arises what did the opposition say on The Kerala Story streaming on DD1 and what is the reason behind it? Below is everything you need to know-
The Kerala Story on Doordarshan Controversy
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday condemned Doordarshan's decision to telecast 'The Kerala Story' in the state and demanded the public broadcaster to withdraw the film's screening. Kerala CM Vijayan took to his official X handle and wrote, "The decision by @DDNational to broadcast the film 'The Kerala Story', which incites polarisation, is highly condemnable. The national news broadcaster should not become a propaganda machine of the BJP-RSS combine and withdraw from screening a film that only seeks to exacerbate communal tensions ahead of the general elections. Kerala will remain steadfast in opposing such malicious attempts to sow hatred."
Not only Vijayan, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor talking to a newswire during his election campaign said, "To be honest, it's really shameful. When the Kerala Story came out, everyone pointed out that this was not the real Kerala story. Kerala is a state of social harmony and co-existence and not a state that is some sort of Pakistan that this movie wants to show. And yet, the lies of this film being officially circulated by an official broadcaster is truly disgusting, it's propaganda at its cheapest and worst.."
However, reacting to the controversy, Union Minister V Muraleedharan said, "Kerala Story is a film which was given permission by the censor board and it is a piece of art and artistic expression is there in the movie. 'Right to Expression' is given by the Constitution. Left has always been saying that we are for freedom of expression, then why they should be worried when such movies are being aired. The Left has been known for the absurd allegation."
Real Life The Kerala Story
Directed by Sudipto Sen, The Kerala Story revolves around a group of girls who get brainwashed under the love jihad concept, and later one of the girls is sent to Afghanistan to join ISIS. The Kerala Story features Adah Sharma as Shalini Unnikrishnan / Fatima Ba, Yogita Bihani as Nimah Mathew, Sonia Balani as Asifa, Siddhi Idnani as Geethanjali Menon / Anisha, Vijay Krishna as Ishak, Pranay Pachauri as Rameez, and more in the leading roles.
Rafeeq was one of the men working for ISIS in order to recruit women for the terror organization from Kerala. Rafeeq was introduced to Shalini and her friends by Asifa Ba. Asifa Ba was the fourth roommate of Shalini and her friends in college. Asifa stated that Rafeeq and Abdul are her cousins and therefore, Shalini and her friends start to trust them as well. Rafeeq introduced himself as an MBA student and later love started to blossom between him and Shalini Unnikrishnan.
On the instruction of ISIS maulvis, Rafeeq then impregnates Shalini. When Shalini finds out that she is pregnant, she confronts Rafeeq. Then, Shalini was asked to convert to Islam and then only Rafeeq's family will accept her. Therefore, Shalini embraces Islam, however, Rafeeq then goes underground. The maulvis then inform Shalini aka Fathima Ba that Rafeeq has gone to Maldives with his mother and will never return.
Real-Life Kerala Story in the United Kingdom
In February 2024, Shamima Begum lost her legal battle to be granted back citizenship of the United Kingdom. Shamima Begum who was infamously called ISIS Bride left the UK along with her friends when she was only 15 and went to Syria to join the terror group. As a result, Shamima Begum, 24, was stripped of her British status in 2019 on national security grounds and remains stuck in the war-ravaged country. Thereafter, Shamima Begum made countless legal attempts to get back her British citizenship so she could return to her country, however, her last hope was dismissed by the UK's Court of Appeal. The Court of Appeal's judges upheld the decision that termed Begun as a threat to the UK's national security.