Kangana Ranaut reacts to Shabana Azmi comparing The Kerala Story ban with Laal Singh Chaddha boycott: 'No one asked...'

The Kerala Story, released on May 5, has become one of the most controversial films in the recent past. Headlined by Adah Sharma, the Sudipto Sen directorial has faced opposition in Kerala, has been banned in West Bengal, and its screenings have been stopped in Tamil Nadu multiplexes.

Talking about its protests across several states, Shabana Azmi took to Twitter on Monday, May 8, and wrote, "Those who speak of banning #The Kerala Story are as wrong as those who wanted to ban Aamir Khan’s #Laal Singh Chaadha. Once a film has been passed by the Central Board of Film Certification nobody has the right to become an extra-constitutional authority."

Kangana Ranaut replied to the veteran actress stating that the Aamir Khan-starrer wasn't banned. "This is a very valid point except for the fact that no one asked for a ban on LSC. People just didn’t want to see it for many reasons, major reason was it was a remake of a very popular old Hollywood classic which most people had already seen", she tweeted.

Laal Singh Chaddha was the remake of Tom Hanks' multiple-Oscar-winning film The Forrest Gump. Days ahead of its release, #BoycottLaalSinghChaddha started trending on the micro-blogging platform Twitter due to the past controversial remarks made by Aamir Khan on "India's growing intolerance" and Kareena Kapoor Khan on nepotism.

Netizens also agreed with Kangana as one of them replied to Azmi and wrote, "Shabana Ji, you have rightly mentioned that seeking a ban on any movie passed by the CBFC, especially through bullying and violence, is not correct. Just wanted to highlight that The Kerala Story is being sought to be banned, Laal Singh Chaddha was not. Not consuming or even boycotting a product (e.g. a movie) is a consumer's prerogative, of course."

This is a very valid point except for the fact that no one asked for a ban on LSC people just didn’t want to see it for many reasons, major reason was it was a remake of a very popular old Hollywood classic which most people had already seen … https://t.co/n4hLrMyZ9N

— Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) May 8, 2023

Shabana Ji, you have rightly mentioned that seeking a ban on any movie passed by the CBFC,especially through bullying and violence, is not correct.

Just wanted to highlight that TKS is being sought to be banned, LSC was not. Not consuming or even boycotting a product (e.g., a…

— Di (@onlinecolloquy) May 8, 2023

Coming back to the recently released film, apart from Adah Sharma, it also stars Yogita Bihani, Siddhi Idnani, Sonia Balani, Pranay Pachuri, and Chandra Shekhar Dutta in key roles. The political drama has been bankrolled by producer and director Vipul Amrutlal Shah under his banner Sunshine Pictures Pvt Ltd.

READ | The Kerala Story banned in West Bengal, CM Mamata Banerjee directs removal of film from theatres