Kamal Haasan objects to The Kerala Story ban but wants audience to watch Adah Sharma film with 'suspended disbelief'

The controversial film The Kerala Story was banned by the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal before Supreme Court issued a stay order to ensure that the Adah Sharma film is screened in the state. Multiple film celebrities such as Anurag Kashyap and Nawazuddin Siddiqui have spoken out against the Sudipto Sen directorial. However, they have also maintained their stance that no film should be banned in the country. 

After Kamal Haasan called The Kerala Story a "propaganda" film at the recently held IIFA Awards in Dubai, the legendary actor also once again expressed his views on the controversy at the India Today Conclave South 2023. Speaking at the event, when the Vikram actor was asked if he would ban the Adah Sharma-starrer, he said, "I wouldn’t ban any film, let them talk. I would try to tell people to understand the film and what is the purpose of the film. My film was banned in Tamil Nadu, Vishwaroopam. People are still wondering why it was banned. There was a case between Raj Kamal Films and the Tamil Nadu government. We won the case and released the film. I wouldn’t advocate banning any film."

"This country should have free speech. They can certify the film and say certain people could not see the film. Audiences should go to watch a film like The Kerala Story with suspended disbelief and then think", he further added. Talking about the initial claims made by the makers that 32,000 Hindu women in Kerala were forced to convert to Islam and join ISIS, Haasan stated, "I have not seen the film but have heard of what people have spoken of it. From what I could derive, certain things could have happened but you cannot increase or exaggerate numbers or make it look like a national crisis."

Apart from Adah Sharma, The Kerala Story also stars Yogita Bihani, Siddhi Idnani, Sonia Balani, Vijay Krishna, Pranay Pachauri, and Pranav Misshra in key supporting roles. The film has collected Rs 286.5 crore at the box office worldwide, emerging as the second-highest-grossing Bollywood film of 2023.

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