Days before its release on May 5, 'The Kerala Story' made headlines as many questioned its controversial theme. However, the box office numbers are telling a different story.
The Adah Sharma-starrer reportedly earned Rs 45.75 crore in just four days, leaving the trade jubilant.
Trade analyst Taran Adarsh cautions against comparing it to star projects such as Pathaan, but notes that the film has made a significant profit despite not having a massive star cast. The collections are growing rapidly due to positive word of mouth.
Sudipto Sen’s directorial venture, based on true stories, narrates the ordeal of three women from Kerala who are converted to Islam and trafficked to ISIS camps.
The movie faced pushback from Kerala and Tamil Nadu, with the Kerala Chief Minister criticizing the trailer for portraying Kerala as a hotbed of terrorists.
The West Bengal government banned the movie to prevent incidents of hatred and violence.
The film played only on Saturday and Sunday in Tamil Nadu before the multiplex association withdrew it.
While the film did well in Bengaluru and Hyderabad, its performance was muted in Kerala due to its primarily Hindi language. If dubbed in local languages, it may have done better.
Despite the pushback, The Kerala Story is doing brisk business in Maharashtra and Rajasthan. The Uttar Pradesh government made it tax-free, following in the footsteps of Madhya Pradesh.
Adarsh predicts that the film’s lifetime collection will easily surpass Rs 100 crore, which is significant for a film of this budget.
This is a ray of hope for distributors who have been disappointed by underperformers such as Bholaa, Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan, Selfiee, and Shehzada.
