The Kerala Story, which has been facing protests and also bans, crossed the ₹50 crore mark at the domestic box office on the fifth day of its release. The film minted ₹11.14 crore on Tuesday. The total earnings of the film in India now stand at ₹56.86 crore. (Also Read | Anurag Kashyap tweets after Mamata Banerjee bans The Kerala Story in West Bengal)
Directed by Sudipto Sen, The Kerala Story depicts how women from Kerala were forcefully converted and recruited by the terror group Islamic State (IS). The film, which released on May 5, has polarised political discourse. The film features Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Sonia Balani, and Siddhi Idnani.
Taking to Twitter on Wednesday, film trade analyst Taran Adarsh wrote, "#TheKeralaStory continues its BLOCKBUSTER RUN… Hits HALF-CENTURY [ ₹ 50 cr]… Day 5 [Tue] is HIGHER than Day 4 [Mon] and Day 1 [Fri], SUPERB TRENDING… Fri 8.03 cr, Sat 11.22 cr, Sun 16.40 cr, Mon 10.07 cr, Tue 11.14 cr. Total: ₹ 56.86 cr. #India biz. #Boxoffice."
The film courted controversy after the trailer was out. After the film's release Theatre and Multiplex Owners Association in Tamil Nadu blocked screenings in the state as "a precautionary measure" to maintain law and order. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee ordered a ban on the screening of the film to avoid "any incident of hatred and violence".
{{/usCountry}}The film courted controversy after the trailer was out. After the film's release Theatre and Multiplex Owners Association in Tamil Nadu blocked screenings in the state as "a precautionary measure" to maintain law and order. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee ordered a ban on the screening of the film to avoid "any incident of hatred and violence".
{{/usCountry}}Several Bollywood celebrities have extended support to the film. Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap in an apparent reference to the West Bengal government's decision to ban The Kerala Story, wrote on Twitter, “You agree with the film or not, be it propaganda, counter-propaganda, offensive or not, to ban it is just wrong.”
Shabana Azmi said only the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has the right to decide whether or not a film should be released. “Those who speak of banning #TheKeralaStory are as wrong as those who wanted to ban Aamir Khan's #LaalSinghChaddha. Once a film has been passed by the Central Board of Film Certification nobody has the right to become an extra-constitutional authority,” she had tweeted.
The Kerala High Court has refused to impose a ban in the state and the Supreme Court is set to hear an appeal against the high court's order next week. The film was given tax-free status in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The Madhya Pradesh government was the first to make the movie tax-free.
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