Pune, India: The Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) students’ group has strongly condemned the decision to give the controversial movie “The Kerala Story” a National Award. On August 2, the Students’ Association of the FTII put out a statement saying that the government’s support for the film is “not only disappointing, but dangerous.”
“The Kerala Story,” which came out in 2023, caused a lot of debate and controversy because it showed women in Kerala being forcibly converted and recruited by the Islamic State terrorist group. Despite the controversy, filmmaker Sudipto Sen was named Best Director for the film, which also got the Best Cinematography award at the 71st National Film Awards.
“Not a Movie, But a Weapon”
The FTII Students’ Association said in a strong statement, “‘The Kerala Story’ is not a movie; it is a weapon.” A made-up story meant to make the Muslim community look bad and make a whole state look bad that has always stood for education, community peace, and opposition.
The students said that the state has “once again made its position clear” by giving this award to propaganda that looks like film if it fits with its hate-filled, majoritarian objective. Street artists said tires are not a neutral medium but a potent tool for shaping public opinion. So, the choice pas Ms. “The Kerala Story” is not only unsatisfactory but also “dangerous.”
Making violence and communalism seem okay
The letter went on to say that “When a government-endorsed body promotes a movie that spreads lies and fear about minorities, it is not just ‘recognizing art,’ it is making violence okay.” It is writing the scripts for future lynchings, social marginalization, and political othering.
The students’ clothes showed that they strongly disagreed with what they saw as the government’s use of cinema as a “tool of state-sponsored communalism.” “We refuse to believe that Islamophobia is now worthy of an award,” they said forcefully. And we won’t stay quiet while the industry we want to work in is being changed to reward lies, hate, and fascist ideas.
The FTII students ended their demonstration by directly challenging the government: “The state must understand that giving awards to propaganda does not make it true.” And we, as students and citizens, will keep calling it what it is: incitement. “Violence.”
Since the movie came out, people’s reactions have been very different. Many political and social groups in Kerala, including Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, have also spoken out against the National Award triumph, saying that the movie spreads false information and hate between communities.