• By Sukanya Saha
  • Sun, 14 May 2023 08:57 AM (IST)
  • Source:JND

The Kerala Story, directed by Sudipto Sen, is performing well at the box office despite facing backlash and criticism on social media. The movie had a strong start and has now surpassed Rs 100 crore at the domestic box office. It has demonstrated a strong hold at the ticket counters throughout its second week after a successful opening weekend.

According to film critic Sumit Kadel, The Kerala Story has amassed Rs. 107 crore at the box office. This makes it the fourth film in 2023 to surpass the Rs 100 crore mark. Kadel shared on social media, "#TheKeralaStory has crossed ₹100 cr nett mark on its 9th Day (Saturday) at the box office. It becomes 4th film of 2023 after #Pathaan #TJMM & #KisiKaBhaiKisiKiJaan to cross cr mark. 2nd Saturday estimates HUGE ₹ 16-17 cr nett. ALL TIME BLOCKBUSTER."

View his tweet here:

The Kerala Story, according to initial reports, has earned approximately Rs 19.50 crore on day 9, bringing its total collection to Rs 112.87 crore. The movie, which stars Adah Sharma, has now become the third Hindi film of 2023 to cross the Rs 100 crore mark, following Shah Rukh Khan's Pathaan, Ranbir Kapoor's Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar, and Salman Khan's Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan.

For the unversed, The Kerala Story faced criticism after its teaser claimed that 32,000 women from Kerala had gone missing and joined the terrorist group ISIS. The makers were accused of spreading malicious propaganda against the state and the Muslim community.

The Producers Guild of India recently issued a statement in response to the state-enforced bans on The Kerala Story. This came after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee banned the film in the state to "avoid any incident of hatred and violence."

The statement from the Producers Guild of India expressed their distress and strong objection to such bans on the film. They emphasised that film releases are regulated by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and any film that complies with these requirements should not face further obstacles in reaching the paying public. Currently, The Kerala Story is prohibited in both West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.