'What's in number?' Vipul Shah defends The Kerala Story after 32K missing women changed to 3

The Kerala Story producer Vipul Shah opened up about the controversy related to the change in the number of Kerala women trafficked for ISIS recruitment. The film earlier claimed to present the story of more than 32,000 women who had reportedly been radicalised by Islamic fundamentalists, however, it was later changed to 3.

Hyderabad: The Kerala Story released last week to mixed reviews but strong box office receipts, following a similar pattern to The Kashmir Files from the previous year. The one thing common between the films, apart from its claim of being based on true events, is BJP 's backing to both the films.

'What's in a number?' asks filmmaker Vipul Shah on being questioned about the makers decision to change the number of cases from 32,000 to 3. Following his recent contentious production, The Kerala Story, which claimed to recount the lives of more than 32,000 Kerala women reportedly radicalised by Islamic fundamentalists, only to eventually backtrack and change the number to "three," Shah claims that accurate figures don't matter to him.

The Kerala Story, directed by Sudipto Sen, has caused a political uproar due to its alleged false portrayal of the people of the state. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has prohibited the screening of the contentious film in order to avoid incidents of hatred and violence. The film's creators had boldly stated that it told the story of over 32,000 Kerala women who had purportedly been radicalised by Islamic fanatics. However, the number was reduced to three following online objections against the purported disinformation spread by the video.

In an interview, Shah was queried about The Kerala Story's now-withdrawn assertion, to which the producer replied, "We wanted to tell a story that needed to be told. It was never about the figures. It made no difference if its 32 or 32,000 women, who went through this ordeal. What is important is that this (religious conversion) occurred. And this was a narrative that needed to be made public."

The Kerala Story, starring Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Siddhi Idnani, and Sonia Balani, was released last week to mixed reviews but strong box office numbers, following in the footsteps of last year's The Kashmir Files. The ruling BJP government backed both films, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioning them in his speech.