Watch ‘The Kerala Story’ with suspended disbelief, says Kamal Haasan to audience

Kamal Haasan, the renowned actor-politician, has once again expressed his views on the controversial film, The Kerala Story, calling on the audience to approach it with suspended disbelief. Speaking at the India Today Conclave South 2023, Haasan emphasized that while he wouldn't support banning any film, it was crucial for people to understand the purpose behind it.

Drawing from his own experiences with his film Vishwaroopam, which faced a ban in Tamil Nadu before eventually being released after a legal battle, Haasan stressed the importance of allowing free speech and promoting dialogue. He advocated for a certification board rather than a censor board, enabling films to be certified for specific audiences without outright bans or excessive editing.

Referring to The Kerala Story, which initially claimed to be based on the stories of 32,000 women but later reduced the number to three, Haasan acknowledged that while certain events might have occurred, exaggerating figures and presenting them as a national crisis was misleading. He expressed his scepticism towards films labelled as "true stories" without truly reflecting the truth.

Haasan's stance against propagandist films was reiterated, emphasizing the need for authenticity rather than mere claims. He urged filmmakers to present stories that are genuinely true, rather than relying on logos or labels.

Currently occupied with his upcoming film Indian 2, directed by S Shankar and featuring Siddharth and Kajal Aggarwal in significant roles, Haasan continues to balance his career in the film industry with his political aspirations.