New Delhi: Controversial film 'The Kerala Story' is on a roll! The film has become the second highest-grossing Hindi film of 2023 beating Ranbir Kapoor's 'Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar' and Salman Khan's 'Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan'. Adah Sharma starrer collected Rs 9.65 crore on its 12th day bringing the total to Rs 156.69 crore.
Trade analyst Taran Adarsh took to Twitter to share the film's box office numbers. He wrote, “#TheKeralaStory is now the SECOND HIGHEST GROSSING #Hindi film of 2023… Overtakes #TJMM and #KBKJ to claim the second spot… [Week 2] Fri 12.35 cr, Sat 19.50 cr, Sun 23.75 cr, Mon 10.30 cr, Tue 9.65 cr. Total: ₹ 156.69 cr. #India biz. #Boxoffice”
The Kerala Story is second to Shah Ruk Khan’s ‘Pathaan’, which is the highest-grossing film of the year. 'Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar' and 'Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan' are the third and fourth highest-grossing Hindi films, followed by Ajay Devgn’s Bhola.
While the film has been banned in West Bengal and screenings have been cancelled in Tamil Nadu, it has been declared tax-free in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh.
The Producers Guild of India had issued a statement condemning the ban. "The Producers Guild of India is distressed by, and would like to record its strong objection to, state-enforced bans on 'The Kerala Story'. As emphasised by us on several occasions in the past, film releases are regulated by CBFC and any film that complies with this statutory requirement should face no further hurdles in having the paying public decide on its fate. Of course, the audience can choose to watch or ignore any film but that is a choice that should be theirs to make, not one that is imposed on them by any party other than CBFC," the guild said in a statement.
'The Kerala Story', starring Adah Sharma, was released in cinemas on May 5. Directed by Sudipto Sen, the film claims women from Kerala were forced to convert to Islam and recruited by the terror group Islamic State (IS).