The Kerala Story Movie Review - Poor Casting and Weak plot fails to impress
The Kerala Story is a 2023 Hindi-language film that claims to expose the alleged phenomenon of "love jihad" in Kerala, where young Hindu women are lured, converted and radicalized by Islamist extremists.
Verdict - 2 stars out of 5. I think it has a poor plot, weak characters, and a limited perspective. it's ok if you skip this film from theaters as well as from OTT platform but if you feel left out and you are the one who easily gets influenced by the great Indian media who is giving much attention and hype to this film then you can watch it once, I am sure you will get bored by the many scenes of the film :)
Story - The film follows the harrowing journey of Shalini (Adah Sharma), who falls prey to this scheme and ends up joining ISIS as a terrorist. The film also depicts the plight of her two friends, Gitanjali (Siddhi Idnani) and Nimah (Yogita Bihani), who resist the brainwashing and face dire consequences.
The film is directed by Sudipto Sen and produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah, who also serves as the creative director. The film is based on a true story, according to the makers, who claim to have done years of research on the subject. However, the film suffers from a biased and sensationalist approach that relies on half-truths, stereotypes and propaganda. The film portrays Islam and Muslims in a negative and monolithic light, without any nuance or balance. The film also ignores the socio-economic and political factors that may contribute to radicalization and violence. The film seems more interested in creating fear and hatred among the audience than in presenting a realistic and empathetic portrayal of the issue.
The only saving grace of the film is Adah Sharma's performance as Shalini. She delivers a brave and poignant performance that captures the vulnerability, confusion and trauma of her character. She also does a commendable job of mastering the Malayalam accent and dialect.
However, even she cannot overcome the limitations of the script and direction. She needs to improve herself to do justice to this kind of role that demands more depth and subtlety. her adorable face is not ment for this role, film's serious subject couldn't be handled by Adah's cuteness. Adah needs improvement on her acting skills. The other actors, however, are mostly mediocre and hammy. The casting is very poor and does not match the characters or the setting. The film also suffers from poor production values, choppy editing and melodramatic dialogues.
The Kerala Story has a runtime of 138 minutes and has been rated R for violence, language and disturbing content. The film has a star cast of Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Sonia Balani, Siddhi Idnani, Devadarshini, Vijay Krishna, Pranay Pachauri, Pranav Misshra etc. The music is composed by Viresh Sreevalsa and Bishakh Jyoti. The film had a budget of ₹ 25 crore (US$3.3 million) and has grossed over ₹ 56.86 crore (US$7.1 million) in its first week of release, becoming the fifth-highest-grossing Hindi film of 2023. The film is expected to release on OTT platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video soon.
Overall, The Kerala Story is a disappointing and disturbing film that fails to do justice to a complex and sensitive topic. It is a film that may appeal to some sections of the audience who share its ideology, but it is unlikely to win any critical acclaim or artistic merit. its a good subject its a good story but poor execution and wrong casting fails to impress, this film could have been made better if the makers had a clear vision while making this film.
Shashi
ReplyDeletei Feel this is the honest review
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