This propaganda movie claimed that over 32,000 women from the state were converted to Islam and were recruited to the terror outfit ISIS. After the trailer of this movie released the makers of the film received a lot of backlash from the country and the opposition. Youtubers had started making statement that all of this is false and whoever decides to prove this otherwise will be given 10 lakh rupees. Everyone criticized the trailer and also stated that it was based on a false narrative and all the facts are untrue. It also meant that it was driven by propaganda.
Later right before the screening of the movie the makers changed the number form 32,000 women to 3. When they were facing backlash, they stuck with the initial number so much that the viewers started to believe they might be actually true. The makers didn’t hesitate even once before stating such nonsense. We as a country have lived out to becoming a nation with no scope for secularism. But there was hope the at least the cinema we consume reflects some diversity and acceptance. But clear propaganda and the vested interests of the makers and producers clearly overpower the cinema’s beauty. Hate speech is rampant enough, while this just adds another pile of bias.
During the screening of the movie in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) protests broke out in the middle of the screening. After the trailer of the movie was released, a petition was submitted to the Supreme Court requesting a halt on the release of the film. The grounds for the petition were cited as being the movie’s promotion of “hate speech” and use of “audio-visual propaganda” in a negative sense. The bench of the Supreme Court declined the request on Tuesday, stating that there are various types of hate speeches, and that the movie had been certified and cleared by the board. On Monday, Mr. Tharoor tweeted that he would give ₹1 crore to anyone who could provide evidence of 32,000 women in Kerala being forcibly converted to Islam. The director and producer of the movie, Sudipto Sen and Vipul Amrutlal Shah respectively, argue that the movie ‘The Kerala Story’ is based on real events, and Mr. Shah stands by the number of 32,000 as stated in the film. This was quoted by news agency PTI.
This is the one the incidents of propaganda and hate speech. Social media is a major tool responsible in spreading vested interests and propaganda among people that have zero knowledge about the issues. It acts a bullet that goes straight the people’s minds forming opinions in their head these politicians and UHNIs want to spread. Television and other entertainment verticals are also equally a party to this but not more than social media. Brainwashing minds and manipulating their minds to thinking the way you want them to is as good as terrorism. Propaganda works exactly like a tool and social media has become the medium. People need to stop believing everything they come across at face value.
