The Kerala Story Team Introduces 26 Real Victims; Vipul Shah Says 'People Tried to Discredit Us Over 32,000...'

The makers of The Kerala Story on Wednesday introduced 26 women victims, who were allegedly indoctrinated and trapped by ISIS recruiters, to the media during a press conference in Mumbai, thereby making another push to prove that their effort is genuine and fact-based. This comes hours after The Kerala Story star Adah Sharma and director Sudipto Sen informed on Twitter that the film is all set to release in the UK.

The Kerala Story, which revolves around a Hindu woman from Kerala who is converted to Islam and trafficked to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), has been facing backlash from a section of political parties and groups which have claimed that the film is not based on facts, and propagates hatred against the Muslim community. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had declared a ban on The Kerala Story in the state.

During the press conference, producer Vipul Shah said, “Our film was called propaganda. The audience has given them an answer. Despite these allegations we have ensured that everything we’ve said is true.” Shah further said that the intention of their film was to “save our daughters.”

A section of political parties also questioned the makers of The Kerala Story over their now-withdrawn claim that 32,000 women from Kerala were converted to Islam and recruited to ISIS. Reacting to the same, Shah said, “We told the story of 32,000 women through these 3 women. People tried to discredit us by picking up 32,000. What we were saying is that this is a story of 32,000 through 3 women.”

Despite several controversies and call for a ban, The Kerala Story has been running exceptionally well in theatres. It has already crossed Rs 150 crore-mark at the box office within 12 days of its release.