Kamal Haasan’s big statement on The Kerala Story, ‘I am against films that spread propaganda…’
Terming “The Kerala Story” as a “propaganda” film, veteran actor Kamal Haasan on Saturday said that merely having a “tagline” does not make a film a “true story”. “The Kerala Story”, directed by Sudipto Sen, has polarized political discourse in the country. It depicts how women from Kerala were forced to convert and join the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group.
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of ‘IIFA Awards and Weekend’ here, Kamal Haasan said he is against films doing “propaganda” as they are based on “lies” that divide the people of the country. Reacting to the controversy surrounding ‘The Kerala Story’, the actor-filmmaker said, “I am against propaganda films. If you write down the ‘true story’ as a logo, then it is not enough. It really should be true. And it’s not true.”
The film, which released on May 5, was banned by the West Bengal government fearing tension between communities. However, later the Supreme Court lifted the ban on this in West Bengal. Theaters in Tamil Nadu had decided not to screen the film citing the law and order situation and low footfall. The film has earned more than Rs 200 crore at the domestic box office and some states have made it tax free. Kamal Haasan also praised the box office performance of filmmaker Mani Ratnam’s “Ponniyin Selvan-2”.
