The Kerala Story director Sudipto Sen reacts to film’s ban in West Bengal, calls it ‘politically motivated’

Sudipto Sen, the director of The Kerala Story, has reacted to Mamata Banerjee's West Bengal government banning the controversial film.

By: Entertainment Desk

New Delhi | May 9, 2023 11:13 AM IST

3 min read

The Kerala Story has sparked a political debate in the country.

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Filmmaker Sudipto Sen has reacted to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s decision to impose a ban on his film, The Kerala Story, in the state. On Monday, the CM said that the controversial film, about the radicalisation of women from Kerala by ISIS, poses a threat to communal peace in the state of West Bengal.

“West Bengal government has decided to ban the movie The Kerala Story. This is to avoid any incident of hatred and violence, and to maintain peace in the state,” Banerjee was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. In response, Sen said that it is ‘unfortunate’ that the CM made the decision without having watched the film first. He hailed Banerjee as a defender of free speech, and requested her to watch the film before making any further decisions.

Also read | The Kerala Story box office collection Day 4: Sudipto Sen’s film does better than Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan, nears Rs 50 crore mark

He was quoted as saying by ANI, “It is really unfortunate. Didi, without watching the film, how could she decide that it is a threat to law and order? Kolkata has gone and watched the film with whole heartedness. The first four days have been packed houses, my film has been announced as an unprecedented blockbuster. Kolkata has seen the film with their heart. Not a single untoward incident has happened. Nobody reported any kind of agitation in front of cinema halls.”

He added that the film has been running peacefully in Kolkata for four days. He continued, “They have blessed me, because I am a Bengali. They have blessed me that I made a film about such a sensitive issue. But suddenly, yesterday evening, I don’t know what input Mamata didi got, she banned the film. Mamata didi and Mahua Moitra are the champions of free speech, they are the champions of democratic values, they are the champions of human rights. They always stood up… When the BBC documentary was being banned, they stood up against that. When Padmaavat was banned, Mamata Banerjee was the first political leader to come in support of the film. This kind of comment and action from her is pretty unfortunate. It is a politically motivated and misguided decision. I request her to watch the film and decide if this film may pose any law and order issue.”

In contrast to the ban in West Bengal, state governments in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh have made The Kerala Story tax-free. Producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah had previously questioned why the government of West Bengal had banned the film after it had been cleared for release by the Central Board of Film Certification. Amid the controversy, The Kerala Story has made Rs 45 crore in India so far.

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