The Kerala Story Box Office Collection: The Controversial Film Passes Monday Test, Earns Rs 45.72 Crore In Four Days

Filmmaker Sudipto Sen’s controversial film ‘The Kerala Story’ is going strong at the box office despite being banned in West Bengal and screenings stopped in Tamil Nadu.

'The Kerala Story', starring Adah Sharma, was released in cinemas on Friday

Source : Instagram/@adah_ki_adah

New Delhi: Filmmaker Sudipto Sen’s controversial film ‘The Kerala Story’ is going strong at the box office despite being banned in West Bengal and screenings stopped in Tamil Nadu. The Adah Sharma starrer passed the Monday test and collected Rs 10.07 crore, bringing the total to Rs 45.72 crore in four days. 

On Tuesday, trade analyst Taran Adarsh tweeted the film's box office numbers. He wrote, “#TheKeralaStory passes the crucial ‘Monday Test’ with DISTINCTION MARKS… Day 4 [Mon; working day] HIGHER than Day 1 [Fri; holiday]… Will cross ₹ 50 cr today [Tue]… Fri 8.03 cr, Sat 11.22 cr, Sun 16.40 cr [revised], Mon 10.07 cr. Total: ₹ 45.72 cr. #India biz. #Boxoffice” 

 

#TheKeralaStory passes the crucial ‘Monday Test’ with DISTINCTION MARKS… Day 4 [Mon; working day] HIGHER than Day 1 [Fri; holiday]… Will cross ₹ 50 cr today [Tue]… Fri 8.03 cr, Sat 11.22 cr, Sun 16.40 cr [revised], Mon 10.07 cr. Total: ₹ 45.72 cr. #India biz. #Boxoffice pic.twitter.com/x3MQUpv9zD

— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) May 9, 2023

Earlier on Monday, the West Bengal government banned the film to avoid "any incident of hatred and violence". 

Reacting to the ban, the film’s producer Vipul Shah said that they will take legal action against the ban. "If that's what she has done, then we will again take legal action. Whatever is possible under the provisions of the law, we will fight that," Shah was quoted as saying by PTI. 

Apart from West Bengal, theatres in Tamil Nadu stopped screening the film in the State from May 7 onwards. President of Tamil Nadu Theatre and Multiplex Owners Association, M Subramaniam, popularly known as Tiruppur Subramaniam, confirmed to PTI that the few multiplexes that had shown the film had decided to withdraw it.   

Asked about the losses it may face due to the ban, Shah said, "We will not talk about profit or loss now, we will only try to ensure that more and more people watch the film. If a state government or a private person will try to stop the film, then we will try every legal route possible." 

Producer Shah called 'The Kerala Story' a film on a "serious social subject" and requested the Tamil Nadu government to ensure a "smooth and fair" release of the movie. 

'The Kerala Story', starring Adah Sharma, was released in cinemas on Friday and was initially portrayed as "unearthing" the events behind "approximately 32,000 women" allegedly missing from Kerala. The filmmakers later changed the figure in the film's trailer.   

The Kerala High Court also refused to stay the release of the film and said the trailer does not contain anything offensive to any particular community as a whole. Recently, the Madhya Pradesh government announced that "The Kerala Story" will be tax free in the state, while Uttar Pradesh minister Brajesh Pathak said it will not oppose any proposal to grant similar status in the state.