Producer Vipul Shah’s controversial film The Kerala Story directed by Sudipto Sen & starring Adah Sharma courted controversy ahead of its release & that has now helped the film get unprecedented success at the box office.
The film opened to a solid Rs 8.03 crore at the box office beating some of the biggest films featuring massive stars .
While the trade analysts are already calling The Kerala Story a huge hit, filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri who helmed last year’s The Kashmir Files, another controversial film that followed similar trajectory as TKS & became a blockbuster, has warned the team of the “unimaginable hate” they are about to receive.
© Vivek Agnihotri/Instagram
In a lengthy note on Twitter, Vivek congratulated the team for the film’s success & talked about the real purpose of cinema & called out those who oppose him.
A part of his note read, “CINEMA AND INDIC RENNIASANCE: #TheKeralaStory I grew up listening to great filmmakers and cinema critics that the only purpose of art is to provoke people into questioning their own beliefs and biases. I also grew up listening that cinema reflects the reality of a society. I was told that cinema must destroy old Gods and create new Gods. It’s an unwritten law that when evil becomes too strong, its the artist’s dharma to expose it with his/her art.
Did I hear it wrong? No. The thought is correct. But the people who say it are wrong people. They talk about free speech but practice censorship. They talk about secularism but practice ‘othering’ and communal hatred. They talk about human rights but support terrorists and Naxals. They talk about exposing the evil but cover up the truth of the evil. I have come to realise that in modern times cinema has the power to do what media and politics can’t do. It can present uncomfortable reality, correct history, fight culture war and also become the soft power of a nation for larger interest.”
© Sunshine Pictures
Further in the note, he congratulated the team of The Kerala Story & also broke the "bad news" as he wrote, "Dear Vipul Shah & @sudiptoSENtlm, @adah_sharma and team of #TheKeralaStory, first let me congratulate you for the brave effort. At the same time, let me also give you the bad news that from here on, your lives will not be the same. You will receive unimaginable hate. You will feel suffocated. Many times you may get confused and demoralised. But remember, God tests the shoulders on which he can put the responsibility of becoming the change agents.”
Check out his full statement below:
CINEMA AND INDIC RENNIASANCE:#TheKeralaStory
— Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri (@vivekagnihotri) May 6, 2023
I grew up listening to great filmmakers and cinema critics that the only purpose of art is to provoke people into questioning their own beliefs and biases.
I also grew up listening that cinema reflects the reality of a society.
I…
Reacting to Vivek’s note, Adah replied, “Thank you sir for your enlightening words”.
Check out her tweet below:
Thank you sir for your enlightening words 🙏❤️
— Adah Sharma (@adah_sharma) May 6, 2023
After a solid day 1, The Kerala Story is expected to score a massive opening weekend. Will it go past the figures of The Kashmir Files? We’ll have to wait & watch.