Box office: 'The Kerala Story' inches closer toward Rs. 200cr
What's the story
Sudipto Sen's The Kerala Story has set the cash registers ringing, and how! The drama—allegedly based on true events—has emerged as one of the most successful Hindi films of the year and has no mood of slowing down at the box office. The Adah Sharma starrer, which was released theatrically on May 5, is now aiming at a double century.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Based on the subject of the alleged conversion of girls to Islam, the Sen directorial has been making headlines daily and has also been accused of being a "propaganda film" by the left school of thought. However, that has had absolutely no impact on its commercial earnings, and the film has grown consistently due to positive word of mouth, despite featuring no big stars.
Box office
'TKS' might touch Rs. 200cr mark next week
As per the data shared by trade analyst Taran Adarsh, the film's business grew by a momentous 38.64% on its third Saturday. It minted Rs. 6.60cr on Friday, followed by a whopping Rs. 9.15cr on Saturday, and now, the total collection stands at Rs. 187.47cr! TKS is expected to witness another jump on Sunday and might hit the Rs. 200cr mark by next week.
Twitter Post
Take a look at numbers shared by Adarsh
#TheKeralaStory shows its strength on [third] Sat… Biz jumps yet again [+38.64%]… Should hit double digits today [Sun], taking it closer to ₹ 200 cr… [Week 3] Fri 6.60 cr, Sat 9.15 cr. Total: ₹ 187.47 cr. #India biz. #Boxoffice pic.twitter.com/2Tap8DS1K7
— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) May 21, 2023
Backing
Right-wing groups, leaders supported drama
The Kerala Story's commercial rise is also linked to the fact that it has been made tax-free in certain states such as Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Moreover, it has received the backing of several political stalwarts, such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, UP CM Yogi Adityanath, and MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, among others, which has proved to be immensely fruitful.
Controversy
But what is the controversy all about?
The surprise box office superhit has been caught in significant controversy ever since its trailer was released, with the left and the right political wings engaging in mudslinging. The film has been accused of spreading Islamophobia. Its trailer claimed that 32,000 women from Kerala were forcefully converted to Islam and sent to ISIS; however, following backlash, the makers changed this claim to three women.