New Delhi: The Kerala Story, directed by Sudipto Sen and starring Adah Sharma, was launched in theatres on Friday amid controversy. Even a slew of petitions calling for the film’s distribution to be halted and boycott calls failed to derail the film’s meteoric rise. The film, which is about a group of women who were compelled to become Muslims and join the terrorist organization ISIS, has seen a surge in popularity in just three days. It was one of the highest openers of 2023, and the picture managed to earn a massive Rs 12.50 crore on day two. It is now rising as a result of excellent word of mouth.
Adah Sharma’s film had the most visitors on Day 3, the first Sunday. According to early estimates, it earned Rs 16.50 crore at the box office. This brings its total collection to Rs 35.75 crore.
The Kerala Story received Rs 7.50-8 crore on its first day, ranking fifth in 2023 after Pathaan (Rs 55 crore), Salman Khan’s Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan (Rs 15.81 crore), Ranbir Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor’s romance drama TJMM (Rs 15.7 crore), and Ajay Devgn’s Bholaa (Rs 11.20 crore). It grossed more on the first day of release than Shehzada, starring Kartik Aaryan, and Selfiee, starring Akshay Kumar and Emraan Hashmi.
While the film has received criticism for supposedly “spreading hate propaganda against Kerala,” it has also received support from political parties and social organisations.
A special showing of the film was staged on Sunday at Bengaluru’s Garuda Mall. JP Nadda, national president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), attended and told reporters, “There is a new type of terrorism that is without ammunition, and Kerala Story reveals that poisonous terrorism.” This type of terrorism has nothing to do with any state or religion…”
