New Delhi: Kerala High Court on Friday refused to issue a stay order on the release of the controversial film 'The Kerala Story' observing that the film only says it is “inspired by true events”. 


Division Bench comprising Justice N Nagaresh and Justice Mohammed Nias CP had considered a batch of petitions seeking to cancel the film's censor certificate.


The bench watched the trailer of the film before refusing to stay its screenings saying that there was nothing offensive to any particular community in it. 


"Nothing will happen just because the film is screened. The teaser of the film was released in November. What was offensive in the film? What is wrong in saying that Allah is the only God? The country gives the citizen the right to believe in their religion and God and spread it. What was offensive in the trailer?," the court observed while considering a batch of petitions seeking to cancel the censor certificate of the film, according to ANI. 


"So many movies have already come out about such organizations. There have been references against Hindu monks and Christian priests in many films before. Did you see all this in the way of fiction? What is so special now? How does this movie create sectarianism and conflict in the society?" the court observed, as reported by ANI. 


'The Kerala Story', starring Adah Sharma, is portrayed as "unearthing" the events behind "approximately 32,000 women" allegedly going missing in the southern state. The film claims they converted, got radicalised and were deployed in terror missions in India and the world.   


The film has triggered a political storm, with the Kerala government and many other parties slamming the film and the makers.   


Directed by Sudipto Sen, ‘The Kerala Story' is backed by Sunshine Pictures Private Limited, founded by Vipul Amrutlal Shah, who serves as the producer, creative director and co-writer of the film. 


The Kerala Story Review


ABP Live’s review calls the film a ‘worth a watch.’ The review reads: “'The Kerala Story' follows a documentary feature format and thus a lot of back and forth movement between the past and present, and between landscapes. The tone of past and present is differentiated with the music, camera movement and colour palette: brown and dry scales for the present while a lot of rich colours imbue the past, also signifying the state of minds of characters and their situations, the pain and suffering of the past and the youthful exploration in the present.” Click here to read the complete review