'The Kerala Story' Screened At FTII Amid Protest By Group Of Students

A special screening of "The Kerala Story" was organised at the main theatre of the Pune-based Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) on Saturday amid a protest by some students.
    
Despite the heavy police force deployed at the venue, FTII Students' Association (FTIISA) staged a protest claiming the student community was not informed about the show.
    
The screening, organised by MITEE Film Society, was scheduled to start at 9.30 am but it was delayed by an hour, sources said.
    
The demonstration was held outside the main theatre during which slogans were raised amid the beating of drums.
    
One of the protesting students claimed, "We are against this screening as the student community of the institute was not informed".
    
"The Kerala Story" director Sudipto Sen visited the campus and interacted with protesting students.
    
"Some students were not allowed to enter the theatre. We spoke with students. No law and order situation was created on the campus. We didn't select FTII. We came here since we were invited," Sen said.
    
"The Kerala Story" depicts how women from Kerala were forced to convert and recruited by the terror group Islamic State (IS). It is produced by Vipul Shah's Sunshine Pictures.
    
The movie, which has polarised the political discourse in the country, was released in theatres on May 5.
    
The movie was banned by the West Bengal government on May 8, fearing tensions among communities. Theatres in Tamil Nadu had decided to stop the screening from May 7 onwards, citing the law-and-order situation and a poor audience turnout.
    
On Thursday, the Supreme Court stayed the West Bengal government's order banning the film in the state and asked Tamil Nadu to ensure the safety of the moviegoers.