CHENNAI: Theatres in Tamil Nadu on Sunday decided to abstain from screening Sudipto Sen’s ‘The Kerala Story,’ citing its poor performance and the law and order issues. The Madras High Court had earlier dismissed a petition seeking a ban on the multilingual venture.
Tiruppur Subramaniam, president of the Tamil Nadu Theatre and Multiplex Owners Association, refused to call this a ban. “It is purely based on market reasons. We don’t usually take up small-scale Hindi films for screening. The film has no star value and these films have a history of not doing well here. Only films with stars like Shah Rukh and Aamir Khan can generate buzz here.”
Mariappan, owner of the Chennai-based Albert Theatres, said audience safety is another reason for the move. “Audience safety is paramount. Screening this film could lead to law and order and safety issues.”
Protest against The Kerala Story in TN
Protests against the film were seen in several parts of the state since its release on May 5. The film’s trailer had generated controversy by claiming 32,000 Kerala women had been forcibly converted to Islam and recruited by ISIS. After the veracity of the figure was questioned by the Kerala HC, the filmmakers agreed to take down the trailer.