Will forefend ABVP's attempt to screen 'The Kerala Story' in JNU, says SFI

The film directed by Sudipto Sen has been issued an 'A' certificate by the Censor Board. 

New Delhi: The Students' Federation of India (SFI) has stated that it will prevent the screening of the controversial film 'The Kerala Story' at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). The Akhil Bharatiya Vidya Parishad (ABVP) has announced that the film will be selectively screened in JNU at 4 pm on Tuesday.

The SFI, in a statement, said, “SFI-JNU unit condemns and vociferously resists the screening of this propaganda movie which will tarnish the fabric of secular ethos.”

The film directed by Sudipto Sen has been issued an 'A' certificate by the Censor Board. According to reports, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) removed 10 scenes, one of which was an interview with the former chief minister of Kerala, VS Achuthanandan.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court said that it cannot intervene in the petition seeking to block the release of Kerala Story as hate propaganda. The Supreme Court asked the petitioner to approach the High Court or other responsible institutions.

The trailer for Sudipto Sen's film 'The Kerala Story' was released on April 26th, 2023. The film is based on narratives of Hindu and Christian females in Kerala who were lured into love jihad by Islamists in Kerala before being transferred to Iraq and Syria to become ISIS fighters.

The film has Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Sonia Balani and Siddhi Idnani in the lead roles which is produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah and it will release on May 5 in Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu.

Currently, the Kerala government and the Opposition leaders have demanded the film be banned in the state. However, the film exhibitors stated that the audience would eventually watch the film on OTT, so it is better to release it in theatres.

A Rs 1 crore reward has been offered by the Muslim Youth League of Kerala to anyone who can show that IS radicalized 32,000 Malayali women.