'Pinarayi Vijayan Playing Vote Bank Politics': 'The Kerala Story' Director Sudipto Sen Responds to Criticisms

Sudipto Sen defended the film's accuracy and expressed disappointment over more awards for his team, emphasizing the film's extensive research and censor board approval. He confirmed no sequel is planned for The Kerala Story.

New Delhi: Following the controversy over the 71st National Film Awards, 'The Kerala Story' director Sudipto Sen has criticized Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for his remarks against the movie. Sen told Asianet News that the Chief Minister's focus is on Muslim vote bank, and pointed out Vijayan's support for VS Achuthanandan's statement about Kerala becoming an Islamic state. “How can he change his stance 15 years later if not for Muslim votes. 'The Kerala Story' was never intended to disrespect Kerala as there exists numerous number of individuals who have converted to become extremists,” he stated, adding that there will be no sequel to the film.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that the jury of the National Film Awards has lent legitimacy to a narrative rooted in the divisive ideology of the Sangh Parivar. “By honouring a film that spreads blatant misinformation with the clear intent of tarnishing Kerala’s image and sowing seeds of communal hatred, the jury of the #NationalFilmAwards has lent legitimacy to a narrative rooted in the divisive ideology of the Sangh Parivar. Kerala, a land that has always stood as a beacon of harmony and resistance against communal forces, has been gravely insulted by this decision. It is not just Malayalis, but everyone who believes in democracy, must raise their voice in defence of truth and the constitutional values we hold dear,” he stated.

Sudipto Sen Says He Expected More Awards

Sudipto told Hindustan Times that he expected awards for technicians and that he would have been happy if his writer, my makeup artist, and actor Adah Sharma had also won. "You can't discredit me by saying it's a propaganda film," he was quoted as saying. “I am not a politician, I am a filmmaker. I know I worked hard, my team worked hard for 10-12 years. I stand by every word spoken in my film, every visual shown in the film. After 2 months of scrutiny censor board approved every scene of my film. Not a single cut has been inflicted on the film. I think our conviction is being vindicated,” he told NDTV.