Bengal govt bans ‘The Kerala Story’ movie

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday ordered an immediate ban on the screening of the controversial film ‘The Kerala Story’ to avoid “any incident of hatred and violence”, a senior official said here.

Action will be taken against any theatre found showing the film, the official said.

Earlier in the day, Banerjee described ‘The Kerala Story’ as a distorted movie, aimed at defaming the southern state.

“To avoid any incident of hatred and violence and to maintain peace in the state, the CM has directed an immediate ban on screening of The Kerala Story. Action will be taken against any cinema hall that violates the ban,” the bureaucrat told PTI.

‘The Kerala Story’, directed by Sudipto Sen, depicts how women from Kerala were converted to Islam and recruited by Islamic State terrorist group. The film was released on May 5.