I wanted to watch the movie, The Kerala Story,
on the day it was released. But none of the theatres near my home screened it
for various reasons. Now, a day after the release, I don’t want to watch it at
all. Reason: I read a dozen reviews and none has a good word to say about the
movie.
Every review I’ve read so far,
including Adani’s NDTV one, condemns the movie as substandard and crude.
The NDTV review asserts that the makers of this movie have no idea about
Kerala whatsoever. “The writing is consistently cringeworthy,” says the review.
“The acting is no better.” It goes on to rubbish the movie judging it as
pathetic without a single saving grace. The only purpose of the movie seems to
be “to vilify a state of India on flimsy grounds.”
The Indian Express awards one star to the
movie and says that even propaganda requires skills. “A poorly-made,
poorly-acted rant” is what the Express calls The Kerala Story.
The movie is mala fide in intention. It does not seek to interrogate the
problem of Islamic terrorism and recruitment of youngsters to the ISIS. It merely
throws a lot of slush on Kerala’s multi-religious, multi-ethnic identity.
It insults the people of Kerala,
especially the girls, by projecting them as an utterly brainless lot who are
just waiting to be carried away by silly propaganda, says the Film Companion.
“If WhatsApp forwards could be a film, this would be it” – that’s the title of
the review which says that Sudipto Sen’s filmmaking “teeters between ridiculous
and chilling.”
The Scroll also makes a
comparison with WhatsApp contents. The movie “speaks to the WhatsApp University
crowd that fervently believes that Kerala is a hotbed of Islamic State
recruitment.” Kerala’s girls emerge as innocent and naïve so much so they can
be misled by any man bearing a Muslim name. Not just misled, they will come
with you willingly and be your terrorist-fighters or sex slaves. The movie is
nothing more than Muslim-bashing, says the Scroll.
My favourite newspaper is The
Hindu whose review accuses the makers of this movie of “converting the
audience into hatemongers.” The problem dealt with the movie, Islamic terrorism
and recruitment of youngsters to ISIS, demands attention. But the treatment of
the subject in this movie “gets increasingly guided more by local politics than
cinematic sagacity.” All the major characters in this movie are either gullible
girls eager to buy propaganda or sly creatures with Muslim names. There is not
a single voice of sanity.
The Hindu points out that the
treatment of certain issues requires subtlety. But the director of this movie
is hammering down his message too violently and vociferously.
So, now you know why I won’t waste
time watching this movie. And I understand why the theatres near my home didn’t
care to screen this. There are certain things that we should keep far away from
us as their proximity will contaminate us immensely. The Kerala Story is
one such thing.
PS. There was one review which
awarded half a star to the movie. But I can’t recall which.
I don't like propaganda of any sort, be in the form of movies or articles or books. I have a feeling that they are one-sided, and there could be a lot of exaggeration. I try not watch such movies, unless I watch it, not to enjoy it, but to know what it is.
ReplyDeleteArt is never propaganda. Art makes us look deep into reality and understand it in our own way sincerely. That's where this movie is a total failure.
DeleteHari OM
ReplyDeleteLove your response to Pradeep's comment - the perfect summary of your post! What a shame the filmaker has gone for 'flash and trash' rather than grasping the opportunity to raise proper insight and debate. YAM xx
Most movie houses in Kerala have refused to screen this movie. Thank heavens, there's good sense in this state.
DeleteEven for evil propaganda some skill is needed. Correct 😊
ReplyDeleteThey should take some lessons from Goebbels 😊
DeletePar for the course our country seems to be on.
ReplyDeleteI like to choose my own books and films. Sure that way I seen some five stars, But yet I see some less than one stars.
ReplyDeleteCoffee is on, and stay safe.
I had no clue that such a movie had been released till today. Serendipitously, I read this post by Manu Pillai on Insta--https://www.instagram.com/p/Cr93BatPPMQ/ earlier today and then your post.
ReplyDeleteSo glad to read that theatres near you declined to show the movie.
On the topic of art and after reading your response to Pradeep, I must share my recent movie watching disappointment! I went to sleep in the theatre while watching PS2!! My husband had to shake me awake. We left soon afterwards. I'm still unclear about why a Mani Ratnam film would disappoint me -- and how it's managing to do do so well on the box office! But then, it's the norm these days. Art or commerce? I wonder what will win in the end.
Commerce is ok, it's about popular entertainment. But political propaganda with malicious motives is terrifying.
DeleteI didn't watch PS, either part. I don't find such movies appealing too.
Times Of India published a review with 3 stars, but even they cautioned about its intent towards the end, and in today's TOI edition Manu S Pillai wrote a column about the real Kerela Story which is its enduring multicultural legacy. Im hopeful because it shows that not all sense is lost in our country.
ReplyDeleteMany states have refused to screen it altogether. Good sense is not so rare.
DeleteI am sure the vast majority in this country will read in between the lines...... like Careena says, all sense is not lost in our country.
ReplyDeleteVast majority? I doubt. There are a lot of sensible people, no doubt.
DeleteAs believed by many in Kerala. the real "Kerala story" is not the Bollywood movie with the title given by Sen but the Malayalam movie "2018" which tells the story of mutual love & collaboration- of how the people of the state together battled and won over the floods in the state.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great observation, Rajeev. That love and collaboration should be understood and promoted. 👍
DeleteSaw the movie. The students in the movie appear so gullible and spineless. not an earth shattering production but the narrative is same like Netflix's "Caliphate" where gullible girls are hoodwinked into ASIS.
ReplyDeleteIt's all propaganda and hence the brainlessness is expected. Their only purpose is to hoodwink as many people as possible.
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