The Kerala Story Review: A hard hitting drama told in a brutal manner
The Kerala Story Movie Rating: 3.5 Stars
Watched The Kerala Story movie on Zee5. Let’s focus on the complete details, story, positive/negatives and at last my personal view on this movie.
Cast: Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Sonia Balani and Siddhi Idnani
Director: Sudipto Sen
Release Date: 5th May 2023 in cinemas & 16th February 2024 on Zee5
Story: Movie begins in the interrogation room where Shalini (Adah Sharma) is revealing details of her horrific and tragic past and the reason why she is in a situation of crisis. Her backstory revolves around four college students who have enrolled in a Nursing School in Kasargauda, Kerala.
Shalini shares a deep bond with her roommates Gitanjali (Siddhi Idnani), Nimah (Yogita Bihani) and Asifa (Sonia Balani). Unbeknownst to others, Asifa has a secret agenda to expose and convert her roommates to Islam. With the assistance of her male associates Rameez (Pranay Pachauri) and Abdul (Pranav Misshra) from outside, she ensures that the girls are radicalized and indoctrinated into the religion using hallucinogenic drugs.
However, Nimah is made of sterner stuff and refuses to embrace Islam. Soon, Shalini gets physical with Rameez while Gitanjali and Abdul also get physical. The intention is that they would get married. In fact, Shalini even gets pregnant by Rameez but before the two can get married, Rameez disappears. The leader for whom Asifa, Rameez and Abdul work, suggests that Shalini marry Ishak (Vijay Krishna) who agrees to accept the child in her womb for which she agrees.
To her horror, Shalini, who has converted to Islam and been rechristened Fatima, accompanies her husband to Syria where she leads a life she had never bargained for. But it is not easy for her to escape. Meanwhile, Gitanjali dumps Abdul who then makes their private videos public on social media, prompting Gitanjali to commit suicide. what happens to Nimah? Will Shalini be able to get back to India ever again? Will her family ever be happy?
Positives
1. Performances
2. Story
3. Dialogues
4. Direction
5. Climax
6. Cinematography
Negatives
1. Length
2. Screenplay
3. Music
4. Unnecessary Scenes
Durgesh Tiwary’s View: When I watched the trailer of this film planned to watch this one on OTT as missed this movie to watch in cinema despite based on real incident.
Shalini Unnikrishnan leads an ordinary life as a college student in Kerala until her identity, relationships, dreams and faith dissipate in the abyss of religious terrorism. The film states that it’s a true story of three young girls from different parts of Kerala.
The Kerala Story is centered around the alleged radicalization and conversion of young Hindu women to Islam in Kerala, after which they are forced to join ISIS. It attempts to give the audience a sneak peek into the haunting tales of torture and mental disharmony of women who are brainwashed quickly by those who are dear to them. The impact it causes on the lives of young minds forms the core of the story. The non-linear storytelling works for The Kerala Story as it allows some time to look back at the happier lives Shalini, Geetanjali and Nimah lived before experiencing the horror. The background score and cinematography play an important role in elevating the film. Director Sudipto Sen has opted for a subject that’s both sensitive and complex and the treatment that has been meted out to the film makes it a difficult watch with several disturbing scenes, moments and dialogues. While handling sensitive subject matters, it can be challenging to strike a balance, but Sudipto appears to handle it with ease. What keeps movie alive is the spark in Adah Sharma and Siddhi Idnani’s incredible performances. They carry the film on their shoulders and excel even when the film falters and gets stuck in flaws.
On the flipside, at certain points, the film feels more like a tutorial of radicalization than entertainment for the audience. It also goes to extremes to make its point, and that could be quite unsettling for audiences belonging to various communities in our country. Had the writers brought in a couple of Muslim characters who were actually good, and who also stood up against this heinous crime happening in their community, it would have shown a much more balanced outlook to the viewer. This movie is not for all sections. The way the religion of Islam is showcased will not go well with Muslims for sure. The rape culture, chopping of hands, beheading and trauma caused to innocent women is shown in a brutal manner.
Overall, movie is a fantastic guide on what not to do when someone is brainwashing you, especially for young girls and boys going away from home to college. You may be left with several questions about the current state of the country. This thought-provoking film is disturbing and surely manages to leave an impact. My view on this movie Highly Recommended.
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