The Kerala Story makers move Supreme Court, seek removal of ban in West Bengal

Amid the row over The Kerala Story, the filmmakers of the movie have now moved to Supreme Court and sought the removal of a ban on the film in West Bengal. This comes a day after Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress regime ordered an immediate ban on the screening of the controversial film 'The Kerala Story' in the state to avoid “any incident of hatred and violence”. 

Announcing its decision to ban the movie, the Banerjee-led state government issued a notification and stated that the film is being restricted to avoid "any incident of hatred or violence in Bengal”. "To avoid any incident of hatred and violence and to maintain peace in the state, the CM has directed an immediate ban on screening of The Kerala Story. Action will be taken against any cinema hall that violates the ban," the West Bengal government official told PTI.

Following the announcement of the ban, film producer Vipul Shah condemned the move and said, ''We will take legal action. Whatever is possible under the provisions of law, we will fight.'' Shah called The Kerala Story a film on a "serious social subject" and requested the Tamil Nadu government to ensure a "smooth and fair" release of the movie." In Tamil Nadu, one individual has threatened and forced the government to stop the release," he said without naming anyone. The film also faced screening troubles in Tamil Nadu. 

Ahead of the announcement, Mamata criticised the BJP for backing the film and lashed out at Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan over the release of the movie. The movie was released on May 5 and collected Rs 35.23 crore over the weekend. 

Political face-off over ban

A political face-off erupted post the movie Bban in Bengal, BJP state chief Sukanta Majumdar slammed the move stating that the voice of the TMC in Bengal has many similarities with the voice of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who claimed that the whole of Bengal should be a part of Pakistan.  He further said that the TMC had also opposed the filming of 'The Kashmir Files'. ''This shows the Anti-Hindu mindset of the TMC," he stated.

BJP leader Amit Malviya called the decision to ban the movie unfortunate. He said, "This ban raises serious questions on civil liberties and 'freedom of expression'. The movie is a real account of victims, who have endured the horrors of demographic invasion and have been used as cannon fodder for ISIS, one of the most barbaric forces in the world".

Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Bengal's Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari questioned Mamata Banerjee's decision of banning the film. He asked, "This movie is against ISIS and its modus operandi. Does CM Mamata Banerjee sympathize with ISIS? Why would law & order get disrupted in WB if this movie is screened? The decision to ban the movie should be immediately withdrawn, or else CM should resign if she's not able to maintain law & order."

While BJP-rules states like Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh has made the movie tax-free