A wise man once said,
“Any publicity is good publicity”
Looks like Shashi Tharoor and his coterie have taken that way too seriously. “The Kashmir Files” had to wait for a release to get the fame they deserved, but looks like Shashi Tharoor is way more determined than “The Kerala Story” makers to make this movie a success.
“This is not our story”
The recently released trailer of “The Kerala Story” has taken the nation by surprise. Based on several anecdotes, and gut-wrenching tales of deceitful conversion, the movie is all set to hit the screens on the 5th of May.
‘The Kerala Story’ is seemingly a dramatic portrayal of the sorrowful and gut-wrenching tales of Hindu and Christian women from Kerala who were radicalised and later joined the Islamic State. It recounts the story of Shalini Unnikrishnan, a Hindu woman who is manipulated into converting to Islam, married her Muslim boyfriend, and much to her horror found herself in ISIS-controlled territory.
Read more: Film ‘The Kerala Story’ is giving sleepless nights to Islamoleftists
However, tell that to Shashi Tharoor, and he will ensure you to watch this movie by appealing to everyone “why not to watch the movie”. To begin with, he allegedly diassociated himself from this movie, “This might be your Kerala Story. This is not our Kerala Story!”
It may be *your* Kerala story. It is not *our* Kerala story. pic.twitter.com/Y9PTWrNZuL
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) April 30, 2023
However, it seems he wasn’t done yet. Taking his antics a notch higher, he openly backed the Islamists campaigning against this movie from his own Twitter handle. He shared a poster from Muslim Youth League, which offered Rs. 1 crore to anyone who proved the figures provided by “The Kerala Story” right.
“This harms our communal harmony”
However, the story has only begun from there. Several Islamists have demanded the film to be banned immediately. Some even had the audacity to reach the Supreme Court, only to be thrown out surprisingly for the ludicrous petition.
Read more: Kashmir and Kerala have been addressed through films, now time for these 5 films
However, Shashi Tharoor is not alone in the free publicity. Kerala CM, Pinarayi Vijayan has jumped into the controversy labeling the movie as ‘communal polarisation.’ The Kerala CM also dragged Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) into the controversy and accused the film of propagating the organisation’s agenda in Kerala.
'#TheKeralaStory' promotes Sangh propaganda: CM Pinarayi Vijayan
He said when they realise that Parivar politics cannot be sold in the state, other tricks like using films based on false accusations are being used.https://t.co/SUL6P9kcaa
— The Times Of India (@timesofindia) May 1, 2023
“The trailer of the Hindi film which appears to have been deliberately made with the aim of communal polarisation and to spread hate propaganda against Kerala was released last day. It is indicated from the trailer that this film is trying to spread the propaganda of Sangh Parivar, which has established itself as the centre of religious extremism in the land of secularism,” he was quoted slamming the film asserted to be based on true events.
“If you have time to judge our trailer, can you watch our movie?”
The last time someone was so desperate in coercing the audience to not watch a movie, it was the time when Om Raut made his blockbuster debut with “Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior”. Going by the antics of the pseudo intellectuals then, the situation hasn’t changed at all.
However, it seems that the makers have decided to take this challenge head on. Vipul Shah maintained that it was a tough job convincing people to invest in his project. To quote him, “No actor was ready, such was fear. The Kerala Story will shake up institutions. When I met girl victims & returned home, I was in tears. I knew when film releases, I will be told it’s propaganda but truth has to be told, director tells me”.
No Actor was ready, such was fear; The Kerala Story will shake up institutions: Vipul Shah
When I met girl victims & returned home, I was in tears. I knew when film releases, I will be told it’s propaganda but truth has to be told, director tells me https://t.co/QC1qDcjZRW
— Rohan Dua (@rohanduaT02) May 1, 2023
Even Adah Sharma, the lead actress, made a smart appeal to the folks promoting her movie. To quote her tweet,
Many seniors persons in high posts have commented on #TheKeralaStory after watching the 2 minute trailer . My parents have always asked me to respect my elders so with due respect to all of them i hope they can take 2 hrs out of their busy schedule and watch the movie. I'm sure… pic.twitter.com/NkGGxlNrEM
— Adah Sharma (@adah_sharma) May 1, 2023
“Many senior persons in high posts have commented on #TheKeralaStory after watching the 2 minute trailer. My parents have always asked me to respect my elders, so with due respect to all of them, I hope they can take 2 hrs out of their busy schedule and watch the movie. I’m sure that they will see that we haven’t shown Kerala in any derogatory light. Jai Hind!”
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