- By Sukanya Saha
- Tue, 16 May 2023 02:17 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Despite facing criticism and bans in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal due to its controversial themes of religious conversion and Love Jihad, the film titled The Kerala Story, helmed by Sudipto Sen, has garnered a positive response in terms of box office performance.
Within a span of 10 days, the movie has managed to amass a remarkable collection of Rs 130 crore and is expected to soon surpass the Rs 150 crore mark. Made with a modest budget of Rs 40 crore, it now stands as the second blockbuster of the year after Pathaan, defying the odds and prevailing against opposition from political parties and groups.
Following the resounding success of The Kerala Story, director Sudipto Sen has now expressed the possibility of a sequel. In an interview with Etimes, Sudipto hinted at the potential for a film exploring the radicalisation of boys. He revealed that several producers had approached him with proposals regarding this subject matter.
The Kerala Story depicts the narrative of three Hindu women from Kerala who undergo conversion to Islam, get radicalised, and become associated with ISIS. Sudipto shared that he dedicated seven years to bringing this project to fruition and had a strong belief in its potential success. However, he expressed his desire to continue sharing more compelling stories, emphasising that he is not ready to retire just yet.
He said, "It was always meant to be a story about three friends who happen to be women. That’s why the movie exclusively tells the subject of women getting brainwashed. It was not a premeditated plan. Currently, I've been offered a project by a producer as a follow-up to The Kerala Story about the radicalisation of boys."
At first, the trailer for The Kerala Story featured a disclaimer asserting that 32,000 Hindu women from Kerala had been manipulated into joining ISIS in Syria. However, due to extensive criticism regarding the lack of concrete statistical evidence to support this claim, the filmmakers eventually revised the storyline to focus on only three women. The movie, produced by Vipul Shah, features Adah Sharma in a prominent role.