Mumbai/IBNS: The bans and controversies over its subject couldn’t stop the dream run of Sudipto Sen’s film The Kerala Story which crossed Rs. 50 crore-mark in just five days.
The film has grossed Rs. 56.86 crore in five days since its release.
Film critic and business analyst Taran Adarsh tweeted, ” #TheKeralaStory continues its BLOCKBUSTER RUN… Hits HALF-CENTURY [₹ 50 cr]… Day 5 [Tue] is HIGHER than Day 4 [Mon] and Day 1 [Fri], SUPERB TRENDING… Fri 8.03 cr, Sat 11.22 cr, Sun 16.40 cr, Mon 10.07 cr, Tue 11.14 cr. Total: ₹ 56.86 cr. #India biz. #Boxoffice.”
The film beat the opening figures of movies by several megastars. It got a higher box office collection than Akshay Kumar starrer Selfie, and Karthik Aryan’s Shahzada.
The Kerala Story depicts the alleged radicalisation and conversion of young Hindu and Christian women to Islam in Kerala and their recruitment into the terrorist organisation Islamic State or ISIS.
The Kerala Story has sparked a political controversy. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has accused the film’s makers of promoting the agenda of the Sangh Parivar.
He criticized the film for painting Kerala as a hub of religious extremism and spreading hate propaganda against the state.
The film was released after the Madras High Court rejected a petition seeking a ban on the release of the controversial film.
The high court verdict followed a day after the Supreme Court dismissed a series of appeals, including one filed by the Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind, against the movie’s release.
The petitioners claim that the film could incite hatred and hostility in society, and the top court directed them to approach the relevant high court.
While Tamil Nadu and West Bengal are the two states which banned The Kerala Story, the controversial film was made tax-free in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
