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TW: mentions of sexual assault, rxpe, and bigotry
The Kerala story has shaken the nation with its brutal portrayal of Islamic fundamentalism in God’s Own Country – Kerala. The Adah Sharma starrer film has courted controversy for exaggerating the figures of radicalized girls from the state. So much so that it even got a reprimand from the Supreme Court.
See also: The Kerala story is ‘not against Muslims or Islam’; Producer Vipul Shah reacts to the backlash
Despite the controversies created by the film, The Kerala Story has been successful at the box office. The story revolves around Shalini Unnikrishnan, portrayed by Adah Sharma, who narrates her harrowing journey of being kidnapped and manipulated into joining ISIS. Eventually he was imprisoned in Afghanistan. The events depicted in the film are ‘heavily based’ on the real accounts of Nimisha Nair, Sonia Sabastain and Merrin Jacob. These women converted to Islam and migrated to Afghanistan to join ISIS during 2016-18.
Talking about the ordeal the protagonist goes through in the film, Adah Sharma said in an interview that it was difficult for her to reveal it to her family. The actress says she was nervous about showing the film to her grandmother as it featured RXPE scenes. She remarks that her 90-year-old grandmother is the strongest of her family. However, the star was skeptical about how she would process and react to the disturbing moments in the film.
#Adah Sharma says she was scared to show #TheKeralaStory because of the gruesome scenes of raping her grandmotherhttps://t.co/3A67m2xDSV
— etimes (@etimes) May 19, 2023
#Merry Christmas From my pati (grandmother) and me ❤️ #Christmas pic.twitter.com/aH4iXguB0a
– Adah Sharma (@adah_sharma) December 25, 2020
However, the film turned out to be an emotional ride for Dadi, who described it as an educational experience. She also advocated for the film to be certified U/A so that it can be seen by all young girls who are prone to radicalization. Dadi believes that watching The Kerala Story will make young girls more aware and alert.
See these lovely pictures of her @adah_sharma The twins with their grandmother in beautiful yellow sarees. #Adah Sharma pic.twitter.com/h0olpfh6gu
— HT City (@htcity) December 5, 2021
See also: Adah Sharma calls film on Kerala story ‘propaganda’: ‘Hate for sure, but…’
