Hyderabad: Cancellation of the screening of the movie ‘The Kerala Story’ in Nimal’s Bhainsa drew criticism from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Kamala Theatre is the only cinema hall in Bhainsa town, the management of which had to mask the movie off the eyes of people after asking them to stop the screening to safeguard communal peace.
However, BJP members sharply criticised the cancellation of the movie screening as the party supported screening the movie in Telangana.
Recently, the BJP’s Adilabad unit organized a special screening of the movie for 250 girls students at a local theatre.
The party’s stated purpose behind the screening was to highlight prevalent issues in the country. However, it is believed that the BJP is using this opportunity to consolidate the Hindu vote bank in Telangana.
Following the cancellation, the BJP leaders reportedly submitted a memorandum to the police officials seeking permission to screen in Bhainsa.
They questioned why the movie is being held back, even though theatres in other states have taken up hassle-free screenings of the movie.
The controversy surrounding ‘The Kerala Story’
‘The Kerala Story’ landed into controversy when its trailer claimed that 32,000 women had gone missing and joined the terrorist group ISIS. This claim ignited a heated political debate, with many leaders questioning the veracity of the statement.
In response to the backlash, the filmmakers withdrew the figure and called the movie the story of three women from Kerala, in its trailer description.
Political significance for Telangana Assembly elections
Telangana Assembly elections are scheduled to be held at the end of this year for 119 constituency seats. In the previous assembly elections, the main contenders were the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), Indian National Congress (INC), and the BJP.
The TRS, which is now BRS, won the majority by securing 88 seats out of 119, significantly increasing its seat share by 25.
The INC witnessed a decrease in seat share from 21 to 19, while the AIMIM managed to secure seven seats. However, the BJP faced a setback as it could only secure one seat, with Raja Singh emerging as the sole winner from the Goshamahal Assembly constituency. The party’s seat share dwindled from five to one.
By screening ‘The Kerala Story’ in Telangana, it seems that the BJP is attempting to influence young voters and reinforce its presence in the state.
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