Many are questioning how a film with such heavy political messaging, and one that has already faced legal and public scrutiny, could be honoured on a national platform.
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The announcement of the 71st National Film Awards has stirred major discussion across the country. While many films were celebrated, one movie in particular, ‘The Kerala Story’, has become the centre of controversy after winning awards for Best Direction and Best Cinematography.
The movie, released in 2023, has been a talking point since it came out. It tells the story of a few young women from Kerala who are shown to be forced into converting to Islam and later joining the terror group ISIS.
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The film is directed by Sudipto Sen and produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah. It features actors Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Sonia Balani, and Siddhi Idnani.
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Earlier, the filmmakers said the story drew inspiration from real events. But they later included two disclaimers. They stated that the numbers shown in the movie were not factual and that the film was a fictional version of events.
Despite this, the film’s message, based on the controversial “love jihad” theory, has been widely debated. Supporters of the film argue that it deals with a serious issue. But many others believe it spreads fear and falsehoods, and unfairly portrays the state of Kerala and its people.
This divide was also seen within the jury of the National Film Awards itself. Pradeep Nair, a filmmaker and member of the 11-person central jury for feature films, openly disagreed with the decision to award ‘The Kerala Story’.
Speaking to ‘Onmanorama’, he said that he strongly objected to the film receiving such high honours. “As a Malayali, I raised serious concerns. I asked how a film that paints Kerala in bad light and promotes propaganda could receive a national award,” Nair said.
He even shared that he voiced his concerns directly to the chairperson of the jury. However, his was a lone voice of dissent.
“I was the only one who called it propaganda,” he added. “Others on the jury felt that even if the film was controversial, it highlighted an important social issue.”
The award-winning decision has since been criticised by several film fans, social media users, and even some artists. Many are questioning how a film with such heavy political messaging, and one that has already faced legal and public scrutiny, could be honoured on a national platform.
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