Shillong, May 10: The Kerala Story has been banned in West Bengal by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Vani Tripathi, a member of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), has finally responded to it.
Vani described the action as ‘undemocratic’ in an interview with a media house. The West Bengal state administration called for a ban on the movie, alleging a danger to the region’s law and order.
Sudipto Sen’s film, which stars Adah Sharma, has been dogged by controversy ever since the debut of its trailer. The Kerala Story details how ISIS recruited Hindu and Christian women from Kerala and compelled them to convert to Islam.
Anurag Kashyap, Bollywood director, had already shared a cryptic message on Twitter concerning the restriction. The Kerala Story was prohibited from being screened in the state on May 8 by Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee.
The state chief secretary was given instructions by the chief minister of Bengal to make sure the movie was taken off screens playing it in the state. She claimed that the choice had been made in order to “maintain peace in Bengal” and prevent any incidents of violence and hate crimes.
“You are taking away the democratic right of the audience, which will determine the fate of the film,” Vani Tripathi retorted.