'The Kerala Story' award backlash: Who are protesting students
The FTII Students's Association is openly criticizing the decision to honor "The Kerala Story" at this year's National Film Awards.
Student leaders Geetanjali Sahu and Barsha Dasgupta say the film spreads harmful propaganda and distorts Kerala's history, calling it "a weapon" against Muslims.
They argue, "Cinema is not neutral—it's a powerful instrument of influence," and believe awarding the film encourages misinformation and Islamophobia.
Students highlight film's false narrative on ISIS
Sahu and Dasgupta point out that "The Kerala Story" was based on a debunked narrative about thousands of women joining ISIS from Kerala—a claim later retracted.
Official data shows only 19 people from Kerala were linked to ISIS between 2014-2020, far less than what the movie suggested.
Despite controversy, the film made over ₹300 crore, but these students feel celebrating it sends the wrong message about what stories deserve recognition.
Meet the student leaders
Geetanjali Sahu (president) and Barsha Dasgupta (general secretary) lead FTII's student body.
Both have spoken up before against using cinema to promote divisive ideas, stressing that films should bring people together—not fuel bigotry or misinformation.