'I’m totally against banning anything but it is a propaganda film': Anurag Kashyap on The Kerala Story

Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap on Sunday spoke about the much controversial film 'The Kerala Story' and called it 'a propaganda film.' This comes after Kamal Haasan recently referred to the Sudipto Sen-directed film as propaganda and stated that he is opposed to propaganda films since they are based on lies that divide people in the country.

In response to the film's continued political content, Anurag said that in today's world, there is no escaping politics and that it is extremely difficult for cinema to be non-political. Many propaganda films, such as The Kerala Story, are being made. He stated that he is opposed to banning anything, but he maintained that the film is undoubtedly propaganda. He added that he does not want to make a film that sounds like counter-propaganda or an activist. He said he is making films, and that films must be based on reality and truth.

The filmmaker also spoke at length about Kennedy’s cast Sunny Leone and Rahul Bhat. Anurag mentioned Sunny's past as an adult film star, "I see her as a mother, and she is an incredible mother." He went on to say that it's unfortunate that people don't see her past and her appearance. He invited others to gaze into Sunny's eyes to figure out who she is.

Adah Sharma's The Kerala Story recently crossed Rs 200 crore at the box office worldwide on its 21st day in theatres. Amid the row of controversies, the film was released on May 5.

The Kerala Story revolves around the story of a Hindu woman from Kerala, played by Adah Sharma. In the movie, Sharma’s character is brainwashed to embrace Islam and sent to Syria, where she is forced to join the ISIS terrorist organisation and get tortured along her journey.

The film is directed by Sudipto Sen and produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah. The Kerala Story has been in controversy ever since the trailer was released. The trailer landed in trouble because of its description: “heartbreaking and gut-wrenching stories of 32,000 females in Kerala…”

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