The Kerala Story producer Vipul Shah opens up on film being called propaganda, says 'the problem in India is...'

The Kerala Story has been making headlines since the trailer of the film was released. The film faced backlash even before its release and got banned in West Bengal after its release. The producer of the movie Vipul Shah recently opened up on facing backlash, being called a 'propaganda'. 

In an interview with Rediff, Vipul Shah said that The Kerala Story “is not against Muslims or Islam, it's against terrorists.” The filmmaker further added, “This film is not against a particular religion or caste. What has been most satisfying is that some people were posting angry, nasty, and abusive messages against the film. Three of them have publicly apologized on the same platform after seeing the film, calling it a fantastic film. That's a very big vindication or validation of what we have been saying. I'm sure, with time, as temperatures go down, people will understand that this film is not against anyone, it's against terrorism. And we are appealing to all those who are against terrorism, to join us in our fight.”

Vipul Shah also talked about the film being called ‘propaganda’ and said, “The problem in India is that every three months, there is some election. This year itself we have nine assembly elections. Next year, there is the Lok Sabha elections, followed by three-four state elections. The cycle never ends. So should we never make a film? Isn't what is happening to our daughters, their pain, important?”

He added, “Just because a subject is uncomfortable for some and doesn't suit their political ideology, should a film not be made? Can anyone deny that genocide happened in Kashmir? How can The Kashmir Files be a propaganda film? The Kerala Story is also not just a story. At the end of the film, we are showing testimonies of the victims' families, one of the victims herself is corroborating her story.”

Vipul Shah said that the audience is smart to differentiate between ‘propaganda and real’ film and said, “Those who have no argument, label a film 'propaganda' for lack of anything better. But no propaganda film can achieve this kind of success. It will take a two-three days collection, then fizzle out. Our film is growing stronger every day. People are smart enough to differentiate between what is propaganda and what is real, we should not doubt their intelligence.”

Helmed by Sudipto Sen, The Kerala Story opened to mixed response from the audience and is having a successful run at the box office. The film starring Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Siddhi Idani, and Sonia Balani has crossed the Rs 50 crore mark at the box office in 5 days. 

Read What's controversial in The Kerala Story? Forced Hindu conversion, terrorism, ISIS in 80-second cocktail