Sudipto Sen’s ‘The Kerala Story’, starring Adah Sharma, is gearing up for its OTT debut. Adah took to Instagram to share the thrilling announcement with her fans.
She wrote, ‘FINALLY !!!!! SURPRISE !!The most anticipated film is dropping soon on ZEE5!#TheKeralaStory premieres on 16th February, only on #ZEE5.’
About ‘The Kerala Story’
‘The Kerala Story’ delves into the narrative of three young women: Shalini (played by Adah Sharma), Nimah (portrayed by Yogita Bihani), and Geetanjali (acted by Siddhi Idnani). Their lives take a drastic turn when their roommate, Asifa (played by Sonia Balani), manipulates them into converting to another religion.
The film unfolds in two parts: the first half depicts the manipulation tactics used to coerce the girls into conversion, while the second half delves into Shalini's journey as Fatima Ba, a converted member of a terrorist organization, and her subsequent imprisonment in Afghanistan. Additionally, the movie sheds light on the phenomenon of men being indoctrinated to pursue Hindu and Christian women in Kerala under the guise of love, converting them, and luring them into conflict zones.
Set against the backdrop of events occurring between 2018 and 2019, during a period marked by a growing influence of terrorist groups among Kerala's youth, ‘The Kerala Story’ offers a gripping portrayal of the shocking incidents that unfolded during this time.
Adah Sharma on OTT release
Sharing her feelings, Adah Sharma said, ‘The courageous makers of The Kerala Story, Vipul Shah and Sudipto Sen deserve to be applauded for having put in immense hard work to bring this film to life. After the stupendous success at the box office, creating history worldwide making it the highest grossing female lead film of all time, we are now looking forward to the film's release on ZEE5. The film's collaboration with this global platform will allow us to extend the reach of the film to a much wider audience. The audience who didn't get a chance to watch the film in the theatre and many who watched it and want to re watch it are waiting with bated breath. I'm thrilled I have an answer to all those who have been asking 'Kerala story OTT pe kab aaegi?'.’
Vipul Amrutlal Shah said, ‘After the tremendous success at the box office, we have been receiving thousands of mails asking when will The Kerala Story come on OTT. So, the wait is finally over and here it is. The Kerela Story is going to premiere on ZEE5 and it's going to be an amazing experience to sit in your house, watch the film and there are so many moments where you want to rewind and rewatch or watch the film again and again. And now you have got all the options to enjoy this film as many times as you want with your entire family. This is a very important film for the entire family to see together. So I hope that every family watches it together and learns from what we are trying to show in the film’.
Director Sudipto Sen added, ‘Tackling such a sensitive topic and translating it into a film is no small feat; it's a challenge we willingly embraced. However, every filmmaker wants an assurance about his work and The Kerala Story's box office performance was my assurance and gratification to continue to have faith in myself. But for those who haven't watched the film yet, I urge them to watch The Kerala Story on ZEE5 for a transformational experience. Many are living in the dark about the reality of the situation and for those, this film will lift that darkness and show them the naked truth as the stories in the film are real. The faces in the film are real. The fates and consequences of the characters in the film are real. The Kerala Story is a unique cinematic experience for the viewers of the film. And that is what made this film an "unprecedented blockbuster" as per BO pandits.’
Controversy
‘The Kerala Story’ attracted significant attention particularly due to its controversial claims. The movie asserted that 32,000 women had gone missing from Kerala, a figure that sparked objections from many quarters. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee denounced it as a 'distorted story' and imposed a ban on the film in the state. However, following a directive from the Supreme Court, the ban was lifted by the state government.
Despite the controversies, ‘The Kerala Story’ emerged as a box-office success last year.
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