Movie: The Kerala Story
Rating: 2.75/5
Cast: Adah Sharma, Siddhi Idhnani, Yogita Bihani, Sonia Balani
Director: Sudipto Sen
Produced By: Vipul Amrutlal Shah
Release Date: 5th May 2023
Story: Shalini or Fatima Ba (Adah Sharma) is a young girl who is converted and sent to Syria together with her husband to fight for ISIS. Caught and imprisoned in Afghanistan, she tells her story in the flashback where she and her two classmates, Geetanjali (Siddhi Idnani) and Nimah (Yogita Bihani), were enticed to join the mission by another classmate Asifa (Sonia Balani). Did the Police believe her Story? Was she able to prove her innocence? Answers to these questions form the rest of the story.
Analysis: The makers of the movie have said that it is based on real stories. As a film, the plot point of ‘The Kerala Story’ needs to be heard. However, the treatment and writing of it could have been much more subtle. The Director Sudipto Sen was successful in getting the emotions in many places, but at the same time he went overboard with regard to the abusive and violent scenes which were hard to digest. At the end of the movie, the makers showed the real life people talking about the horrific incidents they went through, which leaves you in tears.
Performances: Adah Sharma delivers a heartfelt performance, and she was able to convey the pain of the vulnerable Shalini who is brainwashed because of her innocence but still manages to fight back. The manner in which she mixes the Malayali accent into her Hindi makes the character even more genuine. Siddhi Idhnani, Yogita Bihani, Sonia Balani were fine in their roles.
Plus Points:
- Adah Sharma’s excellent performance
- Emotional Moments
- A Few Effective Dialogues
Minus Points:
- Disturbing scenes
- Convenient writing at a few places
- Some important scenes handled in a silly manner
Verdict: The Kerala Story has its share of emotionally charged sequences backed up by the natural performance from Adah Sharma, but the movie could have been more effective if the narrative had a less preachy touch and a more truthful tone.
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