The eight-month wait for the OTT release of ‘The Kerala Story’ is finally over! The film faced several challenges and criticisms, particularly for portraying delicate topic of religion, which raised eyebrows nationwide.
Directed by Sudipto Sen and produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah, ‘The Kerala Story’ is a Hindi-language drama revolving around a group of women from Kerala who are brainwashed into converting to Islam and joining the Islamic State. Marketed as a true story, the film is built on the idea of ‘love jihad,’ making it an object of controversy.
Starring Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Sonia Balani, and Siddhi Idnani in key roles, the story begins with Shalini Unnikrishnan, an aspiring nurse forced into joining the Islamic State by extremist Muslims masquerading as friends in college.
On May 5, 2023, ‘The Kerala Story’ hit theaters and achieved success at the global box office, securing the 9th spot among the highest-grossing Bollywood films of 2023. Despite its commercial success, critics had harsh criticism for the film, calling it an ‘Islamophoboc propaganda.’ It also faced severe trolling for its inauthentic usage of figures and its ‘highly fictionalized’ portrayal of real-life incidents.
Today, it is officially announced that ‘The Kerala Story’ is scheduled for an OTT release on February 16, exclusively on Zee5. Only 10 days left to watch this drama from the comfort of your homes.