What happened?
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is furious over the National Film Awards jury giving two major awards to the movie The Kerala Story. The film won Best Director and Best Cinematography at the 71st National Film Awards. It tells a controversial story about young women in Kerala allegedly being forced to convert to Islam and join the terrorist group ISIS.
Vijayan called the film misleading and accused it of spreading hate. He believes giving it a national award is an attempt to support a divisive political agenda.
He accused the film of being part of the Sangh Parivar agenda (referring to right-wing groups aligned with the BJP). According to him, the film was made to damage the reputation of the Left-ruled state and create communal tension.
What did others say?
Kerala Education Minister V Sivankutty supported the Chief Minister’s criticism. He said the award given to The Kerala Story lowers the value of the national awards.
“It’s sad to see a film full of lies and hate being recognised. This isn’t a win for art—it’s an award for those trying to divide society,” he said.
What is The Kerala Story about?
Directed by Sudipto Sen and starring Adah Sharma, The Kerala Story was released in 2023. It focuses on the lives of three young women from Kerala who are shown as victims of ‘love jihad’—a controversial term used by some groups to claim that Muslim men trick non-Muslim women into converting to Islam through love or marriage. The film suggests they were later recruited into ISIS, which many in Kerala have rejected as a false and exaggerated narrative.
Why is this political?
The film was widely supported by the BJP, which is trying to gain more influence in Kerala, a state mostly ruled by Left and Congress-led alliances. The ruling Left government sees this award as a part of that political push and as an insult to Kerala’s values of harmony and secularism.
Conclusion:
The decision to honour The Kerala Story at the National Film Awards has sparked a major political and social debate. While the makers and supporters of the film see it as a bold statement, Kerala’s leaders argue it spreads dangerous lies and hurts the image of a peaceful, diverse state. As the controversy grows, so does the larger question—Should national awards reflect political views or pure artistic merit?
