The Kerala Story Movie Review
“The Kerala Story” is a film that revolves around the alleged radicalization and conversion of young Hindu women to Islam in Kerala, leading to their forced involvement with ISIS. The story follows three girls from different parts of Kerala and is narrated by Shalini (Adah Sharma), who reveals her traumatic past in an interrogation room. Shalini, along with her roommates Gitanjali (Siddhi Idnani), Nimah (Yogita Bihani), and Asifa (Sonia Balani) enroll in a Nursing School in Kasargauda, Kerala. Unbeknownst to the others, Asifa has a hidden agenda to expose and convert her roommates to Islam. Through the use of drugs and external assistance, she ensures their radicalization. Shalini, who becomes pregnant, is forced into an unwanted marriage and embarks on a perilous journey to Syria via Pakistan and Afghanistan. Adah Sharma delivers a powerful and emotionally stirring portrayal of Shalini, later renamed Fatima. Her diligent efforts to master the Malayali accent are evident on screen. While newcomers Yogita Bihani, Sonia Balani, and Siddhi Idnani put their best foot forward to bring their characters to life, Director Sudipto Sen tackles a sensitive and complex subject matter. The film’s treatment makes it a challenging watch, featuring numerous disturbing scenes, moments, and dialogues.
The director successfully creates moments that elicit natural unease among viewers. Handling such sensitive subject matter can be difficult, but Sudipto appears to navigate it with ease. Prasantanu Mohaptra’s cinematography effectively captures the scenes in Afghanistan and the border regions of Afghanistan-Pakistan. However, the background score falls short, overpowering the narrative and causing distractions. While the hostel scenes featuring the girls are well executed, there are also dull and uninteresting moments, particularly during Asifa’s attempts to brainwash and radicalize Shalini. Caution should be exercised during the highly disturbing rape scene in the ISIS slave camp. At times, the film feels more like a tutorial on radicalization than entertainment, which can be unsettling for audiences from various communities. “The Kerala Story” prompts viewers to question the current state of the country and leaves a thought-provoking and impactful impression.
The Kerala Story Movie Box Office Collection
| Days | The Kerala Story Movie Box Office Collection |
| Day 1 | ₹ 8.03 Cr |
| Day 2 | ₹ 11 Cr |
| Day 3 | ₹ 16.4 Cr |
| Day 4 | ₹ 10.07 Cr |
The Kerala Story Movie Full Cast And Crew
| The Kerala Story Movie | Cast, Crew & Details |
| Director | Sudipto Sen |
| Producer | Vipul Amrutlal Shah |
| Language | Hindi |
| Stars | Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani |
| May 12, 2023 | 2 hours 18 minutes |
| Release Date | May 12, 2023 |
| Cinematography | Prasantanu Mohapatra |
| Music | Bishakhjyoti |
The Kerala Story Movie Photos
The Kerala Story Movie Trailer
