The Congress leaders in the state have raised objections with the Election Commission, condemning Doordarshan’s decision as a “tacit effort” to divide society along religious lines to favor the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as reported by PTI.
Earlier, Doordarshan had announced that the film, directed by Sudipto Sen, would be aired on April 5. However, this decision has faced fierce opposition. The Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), the youth wing of the CPI(M), has announced plans to organize a protest march to the Doordarshan office in Kerala’s capital city.
V D Satheesan, the Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, has written to the Election Commission, urging them to direct Doordarshan to withdraw the decision to telecast “the extremely malicious ‘The Kerala Story’ movie”.
Satheesan stated, “Kerala Story is a propaganda film based on extremely false premises and attempts to paint a bleak picture of the people of the state. I believe this is part of Sangh Parivaar’s poisonous agenda to divide the country along communal lines.”
He further added that the decision to telecast the film weeks before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections is a “tacit effort to divide society on religious grounds to further the electoral prospects of the ruling BJP.”Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has also condemned Doordarshan’s decision, stating that broadcasting the film would only “exacerbate communal tensions” ahead of the elections.”The decision by @DDNational to broadcast the film ‘The Kerala Story’, which incites polarisation, is highly condemnable. The national news broadcaster should not become a propaganda machine for the BJP-RSS combine and withdraw from screening a film that only seeks to exacerbate communal tensions ahead of the general elections. Kerala will remain steadfast in opposing such malicious attempts to sow hatred,” he wrote on X.
Starring Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, and Sonia Balani, ‘The Kerala Story’ was released in May last year. Despite facing criticism, the Kerala High Court refused to stay the film’s release, stating that its trailer did not contain anything offensive to any particular community.
This controversy comes against the backdrop of the BJP’s strong presence in the upcoming elections, with the party fielding many actors as candidates. The screening of ‘The Kerala Story’ on Doordarshan, a government-owned broadcaster reaching many homes across India, has raised concerns about its potential impact on communal harmony.
Despite requests for comment, the federal ministry for information and broadcasting, responsible for Doordarshan, has remained silent on the matter. However, BJP minister V. Muraleedharan has come to the defense of the broadcast, asserting that “a movie is a piece of art and the expression of art is guaranteed in the constitution.”
The BJP, with a limited presence in Kerala, is striving to make significant electoral gains in southern states like Kerala to secure more than 400 seats in total for its coalition out of the 543 seats in the lower house of parliament. ‘The Kerala Story’, lauded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is part of a series of Hindi-language films released since last year that resonate with the BJP’s Hindu nationalist base.
Alongside ‘The Kerala Story’, several other politically themed films have either been released or are scheduled for release in the run-up to the elections. These films, including ‘The Sabarmati Report’ and ‘Jahangir National University’, delve into subjects like religious riots, university politics, and nationalist sentiments.
Critics argue that these films serve as propaganda tools aimed at swaying voters, while filmmakers maintain that they merely reflect historical events and exercise artistic freedom. The box office success of films like ‘Kashmir Files’ has demonstrated an audience for politically charged cinema, although the reception of other films, such as ‘The Vaccine Story’, has been less enthusiastic.
As these films continue to provoke debate and stir controversy, their impact on the political landscape and the upcoming elections remains uncertain.
(With inputs from Reuters, PTI)