The Kerala Story: Adah Sharma recently cited a scene from the film in which a character named Nimah tries to register a case that she was raped by 15-20 people every day and they ask her for proof.
Barely known before the political storm over The Kerala Story catapulted her to national headlines, Adah Sharma has urged people to shower the love and appreciation they have shown for the film on the real-life victims of forced religious conversions. Speaking to the media on Wednesday evening, Adah said: “You have given so much love and appreciation, now it is time to listen to these girls’ stories and appreciate them.”
The Kerala Story team, including the quartet of Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Siddhi Inani and Sonia Balani, director Sudipto Sen and producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah addressed the press conference along with 26 victims of religious conversions.
The makers invited 26 young women victims of forced religious conversion from Aarsha Vidya Samajam Ashram, Ernakulam, Kerala, and introduced them to the media. They also donated Rs 51 lakh from the film’s profits to the Ashram for the education and uplift of the women.
Adah Sharma gave it back to those questioning the authenticity of the claims that the film has made about women from Kerala being tricked into joining ISIS. She said people are asking for proof of the number of women who have fallen prey to the scheme, and asked how will a woman, who has been raped multiple times in a year, provide the proof.
Adah also cited a scene from the film in which a character named Nimah tries to register a case that she was raped by 15-20 people every day and they ask her for proof. Sharma said, “If 15 people have raped you continuously for a month, how will you give the proof? Shalini (Adah’s character) was betrayed in love, so how to register a case of being betrayed in love? So, is that not counted? Is rape not counted?”
The controversial film, which has been released in 27 countries, narrates the story of three young women from economically weak families who are forced into marriage, converted to Islam and brainwashed into joining the jihadist organisation ISIS. The movie draws a lot of inspiration from real-life stories emerging out of Kerala.
