Actress Adah Sharma starrer The Kerala Story has become the most talk-of-the-town film for various reasons. But the entire team of the film are standing strong, and so is the actress, as she speaks to The Pioneer over an exclusive chat, opining about the controversy.
SHIKHA DUGGAL
Not all press is good press—something similar happened with the Adah Sharma starrer The Kerala Story, when the teaser was released a few months ago! With its very release, the director has made it clear that they do not want to scandalise the audience! While there was certainly a little bit of controversy around it trying to marginalise the movie, but the actress’ performance has made it a good watch for hardcore cineastes.
In an exclusive conversation with Adah, we perceive, “I have the blessings of the whole nation. They are rooting for me, so they are my security—my invisible kavach.”
Putting a spotlight on forced conversion and radicalisation of women in the state, it did spark a row. But what the actress feels is, “ISIS is shown in detail in our film, but to put it in a few sentences: first you shake the self confidence of a person, and then shower them with extensive love. Blackmail is also used, girls are drugged and impregnated. You will see a step by step manipulation process in the film.”
Kerala Chief Minister slammed the makers of the film, terming it as propaganda by the Sangh parivar however, Adah begged to differ, saying, “Now, with the help of social media, I was able to read the supporting comments. I am really touched! I feel like the whole nation is rooting for me. Whole world actually, messages from abroad and their stories are being shared. It’s a global problem — this movie will become a movement.”
The director of the film, Sudipto Sen, and producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah insist that it is based on true events. In a little insidious look into the actress’ character, we catch, “My character Shalini is born in Kerala, where it is humid. In Afghanistan, the sun’s rays are very bright, and the overproduction of melanin in her skin because of absorbing ultraviolet light caused the freckles that you can see in the trailer! Her skin had been exposed to the Kerala sun all her life. In reality, I am from Kerala too. I think it is one of the most beautiful places. There are beaches, backwaters, you see me cycling in the green fields. It is literally heaven on earth. I have a lot of relatives there. My aunt makes ‘unniyappam,’ which is my favourite. I can eat twenty of those.”
Despite no superstar names, The Kerala Story has still created a decent buzz. Adah is happy! “The producer really has a vision— I think someone who could cast me as a commando doing action with guns and flying kicks, has now cast me in a 360 degrees opposite role! This was the first character I have done that I identified with a lot. I have played a possessed character, which I did not identify with, but I enjoyed that. In commando, I had to beat up big guys! I am not very violent in real life. In this role, I am a girl from Kerala, and what a pleasant coincidence that I am one too. I live with my grandmother and mother in real life too, and I can’t imagine having to live life without being able to talk to them for even a day. Let alone indefinitely and stay in a place where I can’t even use a cell phone to contact anyone I know.”
What happens in the industry is that anything unsavoury sometimes also have stories behind it, and The Kerala Story is one of those pieces! It’s at least indulging our curiosity, who knows it goes on to become a pioneering classic even? What’s Adah hopeful of is she wants to push the boundaries and break conventions!
