The Kerala Movie Review

"A spine-chilling, never told-before true story – revealing a dangerous conspiracy that has been hatched against India. The Kerala Story is a compilation of the true stories of three young girls from different parts of Kerala," the makers captioned the trailer.

"The Truth Shall set us free! Thousands of Innocent women have been systematically converted, radicalized & their lives destroyed. It's their side of the story," the makers of "The Kerala Story" wrote.

The Kerala Story - Director, Cast

"The Kerala Story" is directed by Sudipto Sen and produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah.
While Adah Sharma played the lead role in "The Kerala Story", Yogita Bihani, Sonia Balani, Siddhi Idnani, Vijay Krishna, Pranay Pachauri, and Pranav Misshra played pivotal roles.

The Kerala Story – Star Performances

The four main actors in the film - Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Siddhi Idnani, and Sonia Balani, did a good job and justified their performances. Adah Sharma was able to bring out the emotions and feelings of the audience as it was required from her as an actor. From the South Indian accent to some clap-worthy dialogues, Adah was a treat to watch on the big screen.

The Kerala Story – Storyline

The Kerala Story is not a story about terrorism but about the women who have been victims of terrorism in the state of Kerala, which is sitting on a ticking time bomb. The film is about the tales of three young girls who are tricked and brainwashed to convert to Islam and they're taken to Syria and Afghanistani, only to become sex slaves or suicide bombers for ISIS.

The film is surrounded by raging controversy over the showcase of a "true story of 32,000 young women" from Kerala being held captive in ISIS camps on the border of Afghanistan-Turkey-Syrie. Amid the protests and pleas, the film has released and it did show some hard-hitting facts and strong-worded dialogues, that left the audience clapping on several occasions. As you come out of the theatre, it will take some time for the film to seep in. The Adah Sharma starrer The Kerala Story is one such film that will definitely make you Google about the real Kerala Story.

As director Sudipto Sen claimed, "based on many true stories', the film revolves around 32,000 young women from Kerala who were held captive in ISIS camps on the border of Afghanistan-Turkey-Syria border after having these women converted to Islam. Through the film, Sen is trying to show how Kerala contributed thousands of foot soldiers to ISIS over the years.

The film revolves around Shalini (Adah Sharma), who has converted to Islam and has become Fatima. The story is through Shalini's lens and her plight as a victim of ISIS. Shalini comes into the eye of ISIS when she goes to a college to study nursing in a district in Kerala where she meets Gitanjali (Siddhi Idnani), Nimah (Yogita Bihani), and Asifa (Sonia Balani). With the help of manipulation and strong drugs, ISIS members brainwash and radicalize Shalini and Geetanjali.

The four girls Shalini - a Hindu, Gitanjali - a Hindu, Nimah - a Christian, and Asifa - a Muslim become roommates at a college hostel. Asifa begins her plan immediately by manipulating the other three girls with the help of her two subordinates. Things like women are safe in public if they were hijab, other gods are weak, only Allah can save the 'kaafirs' who will otherwise have to face 'dozakh' (hellfire). The manipulation goes a level down when girls are striped in a mall by unidentified men.

To explain dozakh better, Sudipto Sen showed how a woman's hand was chopped off for applying lipstick, and another woman was killed by her husband for having a cell phone (because as per Sharia law, a woman cannot have a phone). From Bloodshed in the terrorist camp in Afghanistan, turning the women into sex slaves or suicide bombers or just shooting them, a few dark elements will take time to sink in.

The film portrays a sad tale of a pregnant woman, who is trafficked to Afghanistan by ISIS, and her baby is taken away by evil men. However, she escapes without her daughter and is caught by the Afghanistan authorities where she tells her backstory. However, one cannot be sure if it is based on pure evidence or just some cases of a handful of women who were swayed away by terrorist male members, and radicalised to the point of no return.

Though the film is a good watch, it makes you question the intellect level of these women. The film demands attention and emotional investment.

The Kerala Story - Direction

Sudipto Sen majorly focused on three 'true stories', he did bring out his creative work by not just showing the dark elements but also giving refreshments to his audience by showing the beautiful views of Kerala, a South Indian household, and some college moments. Not only he focused on the plight of the three women but also on the pain that was inflicted on the families. Each woman's story was different from the other but yet connected by the same thread - Terrorism.

While one agreed to go to Syria, the other two rejected. Sudipto also shows how the ones who say no to going to Afghanistani-Syria with ISIS members are tortured along with their family members. On the other hand, making a woman fall in love, getting her impregnated, and taking her to Syria is there another trick. Without much of the gore scenes, Sen looked focused on what he wanted to show in the film.

The Kerala Story - Conclusion

The film sheds light on a real-life issue (as claimed by the makers), which tends to create space for conversations and reflection. As a viewer, you must watch the film but don't believe in everything shown, blindly.