The Tamil Nadu multiplex theatres have made the decision to stop showing The Kerala Story starting on Sunday, citing the law and order situation and the film’s underwhelming box office performance.
The Kerala Story pulled down in TN
The Kerala Story, which was dogged by controversy even before it hit the big screen, is no longer playing in Tamil Nadu theatres. There are currently no theatres in Tamil Nadu where you can book the film, despite the fact that it had a very limited release.
The movie drew criticism because it had previously stated that 32,000 state-born girls had vanished and later joined the terrorist organization ISIS. Following the controversy, the Kerala High Court noted on Friday that the filmmakers had published a disclaimer along with the film that specifically states that it has been fictionalized and is a dramatized version of events and that it makes no claims as to the accuracy or factuality of historical events.
‘The Kerala Story’ was released in Chennai on Saturday, and the Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) in Tamil Nadu protested this. The Naam Tamilar Party cadres, led by its organizer, actor, and director Seeman, began protests against the film in Chennai’s Anna Nagar Arch neighborhood close to Skywalk Mall.
Theater owners cite fear of damage
M Subramaniam, the president of the Tamil Nadu Theatre and Multiplex Owners Association, confirmed the decision to pull the film from the few multiplexes that had shown it. He told PTI, “The film was only shown in a few multiplexes owned by pan-India groups, mostly PVR. Locally-owned multiplexes had already decided not to show the film, as it did not have any popular stars. In Coimbatore for instance, there were two shows so far — one on Friday and one on Saturday. Even those did not do well. Given that, theatres decided that it was not worth going through the threat of protests and such.”
The announcement to stop screening “The Kerala Story” comes days after the Madras High Court dismissed a plea seeking a ban on the film earlier this week. Also, the Tamil Nadu government has not banned the film. At present, Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan 2 or PS 2 is doing well at the box office. In Tamil Nadu, PS2 is largely distributed by Red Giant Movies. which has close links with the ruling DMK.
