Kerala Story Review (Spoiler Alert)

Amandeep Singh
3 min readMay 15, 2023

The Kerala Story is a Indian Hindi-language thriller film directed by Sudipto Sen and produced by Essel Vision Productions. The film stars Adah Sharma, Sunny Singh, and Saurabh Shukla. The film tells the story of a young woman who is lured into joining the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

The film was released on 6 May 2023. It received mixed reviews from critics, with some praising Sharma’s performance and others criticizing the film’s slow pacing and lack of originality.

The film begins with Shalini Unnikrishnan (Adah Sharma), a young woman from Kerala, who is studying to be a nurse. She meets a Muslim man named Azhar (Sunny Singh) and they fall in love. Azhar convinces Shalini to convert to Islam and they get married.

After their marriage, Azhar takes Shalini to Syria, where she is forced to join ISIS. Shalini is initially reluctant to join ISIS, but she is eventually brainwashed and becomes a devoted follower of the group.

Shalini’s family is devastated when they learn that she has joined ISIS. They try to get her to come home, but she refuses. Shalini’s father, Unnikrishnan (Saurabh Shukla), is particularly heartbroken. He blames himself for Shalini’s decision to join ISIS and he becomes obsessed with finding a way to get her back.

Unnikrishnan eventually travels to Syria to find Shalini. He meets with ISIS leaders and begs them to release his daughter. The ISIS leaders refuse to release Shalini, but they do agree to let Unnikrishnan see her.

Unnikrishnan is reunited with Shalini, but he is shocked by what he sees. Shalini is a completely different person. She is dressed in black and she wears a veil. She is also covered in bruises.

Unnikrishnan tries to talk to Shalini, but she refuses to listen to him. She tells him that she is happy with her new life and that she never wants to go back to India.

Unnikrishnan is heartbroken. He leaves Syria without Shalini. He vows to never give up on her and he promises to find a way to get her back.

The Kerala Story is a powerful film that tells a harrowing story about the dangers of radicalization. The film is well-acted and it is directed with sensitivity. The film is a must-watch for anyone who wants to understand the dangers of extremism.

Here are some of the things that the film does well:

  • The film does a good job of portraying the psychological effects of radicalization. Shalini is initially reluctant to join ISIS, but she is eventually brainwashed and becomes a devoted follower of the group. The film shows how easy it is for people to be radicalized, even if they come from good families and have good intentions.
  • The film also does a good job of showing the impact of radicalization on families. Shalini’s family is devastated when they learn that she has joined ISIS. They try to get her to come home, but she refuses. Shalini’s father, Unnikrishnan, is particularly heartbroken. He blames himself for Shalini’s decision to join ISIS and he becomes obsessed with finding a way to get her back.
  • The film is also a timely reminder of the dangers of extremism. The film was released in 2023, a time when the world is facing a growing threat from extremism. The film is a reminder that we need to be vigilant and that we need to do everything we can to prevent people from being radicalized.

The film is not without its flaws. The film is a bit slow-paced at times and the ending is a bit anticlimactic. However, the film’s strengths outweigh its weaknesses. The Kerala Story is a powerful film that is well worth watching.

Sign up to discover human stories that deepen your understanding of the world.

Free

Distraction-free reading. No ads.

Organize your knowledge with lists and highlights.

Tell your story. Find your audience.

Membership

Read member-only stories

Support writers you read most

Earn money for your writing

Listen to audio narrations

Read offline with the Medium app

Amandeep Singh
Amandeep Singh

Written by Amandeep Singh

Love Programming & Love to Share the Knowledge with Others

No responses yet

Write a response