'The Kerala Story' ban: Controversial film returns to West Bengal, receives ‘good response’

The Kerala Story made its return to West Bengal on May 20, and has received “good response” as per an official from the Eastern India Motion Picture Association (EIMPA). 

The film is being screened at a theatre in Bongaon town in North 24 Parganas district, which lies near the India-Bangladesh border, PTI reports. 

The film returned to West Bengal after the Supreme Court overturned the state-imposed ban on the film, allowing it to be screened with a disclaimer highlighting its fictionalized nature. 

Following the court’s orders, the film is now preceded by a disclaimer that states that the “narratives are based on fictional accounts”. 

Despite the disclaimer and the permission to screen the film, the EIMPA official is unsure of the film’s status in other theatres in the region.

"Sreema Cinema Hall on Ramnagar Road in Bongaon, around 75 km from Kolkata, is screening the movie. But we do not have knowledge whether any other theatre in the state is showing the film or not," the official said.

Following the film’s ban in West Bengal at the behest of Chief Minister Mamata Bannerjee, as many as 60 cinema halls allotted the slots assigned for The Kerala Story to other English, Hindi and Bengali films. With the slots now occupied, the cinema halls have expressed inability to accommodate The Kerala Story in their screening schedules.

"We offered them several time slots but they did not show any inclination to screen the film," the EIMPA official said.

The Kerala Story was released in theatres across India on May 5th. The film was placed under immense scrutiny for distortion of facts. The film claimed to be a story of 32000 women, a statement the director backtracked on later, claiming it to be a tale of 3 women. 

The film was shortly pulled from theatres in West Bengal at the behest of CM Mamata Banerjee. The CM stated that the decision was made to “maintain peace” in the state of West Bengal.