Bhopal/IBNS: 'The Kerala Story' film has been declared tax-free in Madhya Pradesh by the state's BJP government.

"The Kerala Story", which was released on May 5, depicts the alleged radicalisation and conversion of young Hindu and Christian women to Islam in Kerala and their recruitment into the terrorist organisation Islamic State or ISIS.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Hindu organisations had urged Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to exempt "The Kerala Story" from taxes in the state.

In a tweet on May 6, the Chief Minister confirmed that the film has been granted tax-free status in Madhya Pradesh.

The film directed by Sudipto Sen and produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah has Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Siddhi Idnani, and Sonia Balani in the lead roles.

On Day 1, the film reportedly earned an opening of over Rs 8 crore, making it the fifth-highest opening for a Hindi film in 2023, according to a prominent movie trade analyst.

"#TheKeralaStory hits the ball out of the stadium … Takes a SMASHING START… Evening + night shows witness solid occupancy… The Day 1 numbers are an EYE-OPENER for the entire industry… TERRIFIC weekend assured… Fri ₹ 8.03 cr. #India biz. #Boxoffice," tweeted movie critic and business analyst Taran Adarsh.

The film beat the opening figures of movies by several megastars. It got a higher box office collection than Akshay Kumar starrer Selfie, and Karthik Aryan’s Shahzada.

The film was released after the Madras High Court rejected a petition seeking a ban on the release of the controversial film. The high court verdict followed a day after the Supreme Court dismissed a series of appeals, including one filed by the Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind, against the movie's release.

The petitioners claim that the film could incite hatred and hostility in society, and the top court directed them to approach the relevant high court.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has accused the film's makers of promoting the agenda of the Sangh Parivar.

He criticized the film for painting Kerala as a hub of religious extremism and spreading hate propaganda against the state.

Congress MP from Kerala’s capital Thiruvananthapuram Shashi Tharoor has slammed the film, stating that it misrepresents the state.

He has also accused the filmmakers of exaggerating and distorting the reality of the state.

The trailer of the film received backlash due to its claim that 32,000 girls from Kerala had disappeared and joined the Islamic State.