The Kerala Story has hit screens on Friday -- to mixed reactions. The Prime Minister made a reference to the film while campaigning ahead of the Karnataka elections much to the joy of the producer of the film. But when it comes to the film itself, many critics have been scathing in their reviews calling it poorly put together and 'distorted'. The New Indian Express reached out to experts from different walks of life including the film industry and the police service to know their views:
B Ajithkumar, national-award winning film editor and documentary director
Using film as a tool for ideological propaganda has been always there. Some classic examples are the Birth of a Nation (1915) by DW Griffith that glorified the Ku Klux Klan and Triumph of the Will (Triumph des Willens in German), a 1935 German Nazi propaganda film helmed by Leni Riefenstahl and commissioned by Adolf Hitler. The Kerala Story then is not a new phenomenon. The power of the moving image to influence the masses was not at all underestimated by political movements, states and their ideologues of the 20th century.
Even when it comes to Malayalam films, the shift in the political climate of the country was always reflected. Working-class heroes of superhit films gave way to elite class heroes exemplifying feudal values by the late 80s.
Films are symptomatic of the times. Their reliance is on a feedback loop. Films that subscribe to the currently popular ideology or world view can bring in the audience. Viewers prefer to watch and listen to projects that portray a fictional world which confirms their beliefs, emotions and opinions rather than watching works that challenge these beliefs, The beliefs of the audience are in turn confirmed by the films. The filmmakers make money, the audience are happy and the establishment whose power is based on that ideology cements their hold over people's minds. So more such films are made. A vicious circle.
It's a win-win situation for all except for truth, historical veracity, evidence and rationality, all of which are conveniently dumped. This practice becomes especially blatant when the political agenda is determined by demagogues who survive on the politics of hatred and polarisation and who have capital that can buy film makers at their disposal.
The Kerala Story, as can be surmised from its sensationalist teaser (now pulled down after a challenge in the Kerala High Court of the claim that 32000 women were recruited by the ISIS), would be just another pustule that belies the contagion that is gnawing away at the body politic of our country. In an era of numerous misinformation and disinformation campaigns that range from fake news whatsapp forwards to textbook rewriting, The Kerala Story should not be news.
There will be an audience for The Kerala Story in other parts of India where people don't even know where Kerala is. That Kerala is a hub of Islamic terrorism is has been constantly reiterated there so much so that its has become a "common perception" for a certain section of the population of North India. Whether there is truth, evidence or historical data to back up these claims, nobody cares. Whether this discussion and arguments about The Kerala Story in any way affects that audience, who are comfortable in their echo chambers, is doubtful.
For the filmmakers, the controversy is good publicity, and truth is not a criterion there. It is their perception about Kerala that they want to convey. We say that it is not true. They will not agree that their perception is faulty. So there has to be a touchstone of objectivity, facts, rationality etc. which as a people we have always lacked. The Kerala Story will reconfirm the biases of those who have certain notions about Kerala without ever having known Kerala. If it succeeds in telling a well-crafted story, the producers will make money also.
But since cinema and culture are always prone to political contestations, those of us who disagree can challenge this distortion of facts by pointing out that in our experience and according to facts, Kerala is no more a terrorist recruiting ground for ISIS than any other state. That is in this particular case. In a broader sense, our film makers will have to challenge the accepted half truths and pure lies spread by powers-that-be, through their films, by engaging with the true social reality of our society, without trying to take sides for the sake of popularity. That is easier said than done.
Shehnad Jalal, cinematographer
I see this film as similar to those fake posts being circulated on social media handles including WhatsApp chats. It is another version of spreading fake news through the medium of a feature film and it is a fake feature film -- period! I had watched the trailer and felt it was an extreme measure to advocate this propaganda and brainwash people. The "real statistics" they claimed to behind their statement of 32000 women recruited by ISIS from Kerala were proven to be baseless after the government released the original details of the same. The history of India in NCERT and other textbooks is getting changed. Similar changes are being attempted through the medium of films which has a huge viewership in our country and I think in future we can expect more such movies. As a person who works in the industry, I feel these films are misusing the art of filmmaking too.
Jacob Punnoose, Former chief of Kerala Police
Jacob Punnoose, who had investigated the allegation of 'love jihad' in 2009, said the claim that 32000 girls were forcefully converted is an exaggeration. Punnose had filed a detailed report with the High Court in 2009 after examining hundreds of inter-faith marriages.
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Punnoose told The New Indian Express that the complaints of 'love jihad' were few and far between -- in fact the actual cases could be counted on one's fingers. He said he sought a detailed reports on such complaints from all the district police chiefs. The district chiefs collected the information from the individual police stations and all the details were filed before the court.
Punnoose added that during the probe no evidence of an organized racket facilitating 'love jihad' marriages came to fore. But in very rare cases, when the youths involved in such affairs were ostracized by their families and the society, there were people who came up to support them. There was, however, nothing criminal in this.
"The reports of women joining ISIS began emerging five-six years later," he said.
"The High Court directed the police to maintain vigil in case of forced conversions and closed the case in 2009. The police have always maintained caution as forced conversion is a crime," he added.