The Kerala Story Actress Adah Sharma Gets Candid On 'Propaganda Movies', Urges Filmmakers To 'Tell the Truth'

The Kerala Story, despite its blockbuster success at the box office in 2023, has long been labelled a "propaganda movie" by a section of watchers. The Sudipto Sen directorial sheds light on the religious conversion  of Hindu and Christian women in Kerala, who were lured into joining the Islamic State (IS) group. It stirred a huge controversy upon its release, with many criticising it for its lopsided view on the issue and "distorting" facts. As The Kerala Story braved opposition and emerged as one of the highest grossing movies of that year, the polarising film came back in discussions once again as it bagged two National Awards, including Best Direction for Sen.

Adah Sharma, the lead actress in The Kerala Story, portrayed as a victim of "love jihad", shed light on the matter as she spoke candidly about her film at Republic Media Network's Rashtra Sarvopari Sammelan. "The Kerala Story has made history and the records it has broken...The movie touched a lot of hearts and its just magical. There was a lot of opposition after the trailer dropped and before the film released but all that subsided once people saw the movie. People were shaken a lot by this film. My dad always told me if you say the truth you should never be scared."

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On whether movies like The Kerala Story caters to certain audiences, she shared, "The definition of propaganda is different for everyone. Everyone should make the film they want. Make a movie about every state. If you want to say the truth, come out in the open and say it. With The Kerala Story, more people will find the strength to speak the truth. One doesn't feel the truth is the truth till the time it doesn't happen to your sister or anyone in your family."