The Kerala Story - Adah Sharma's award winning performance as Shalini Unnikrishnan!
Based on true events, the story depicts Islamic State recruiting innocent non-Muslim girls. The movie centers on three nursing students in Kerala who are persuaded by an extremist group into abandoning their own views and accepting Islam as their lone source of moral guidance. These girls are caught in a perilous game and used as pawns in what is supposed to be a war of civilizations.
Adah Sharma’s character Shalini, one of the females, converts and is transferred to Syria with her husband to fight for the Islamic State. But when they are arrested and detained in Afghanistan, their adventure takes a tragic turn.
A Lot of viewers gave feedback stating that although the movie’s idea demands their attention and emotional involvement, the way it’s really done starts to lean more and more toward local politics than it does toward cinematic aesthetics. The story lacks complexity and balance, frequently presenting the impressionable girls as eager propagandists or people with Muslim names as crafty and manipulative. There isn’t much room for a voice of reason in this one-sided representation.
Instead, throughout the narrative, filmmaker Sudipto Sen strongly emphasizes the theme.
Adah Sharma’s portrayal of Shalini Unnikrishnan in the movie is truly an outstanding performance. She brilliantly captured the innocence of a Keralite character while maintaining her Hindi and English diction. Adah showed her dedication to method acting by giving her part nuance and realism.
Siddhi perfectly embodied Geetanjali in her performance, capturing the character’s soul. Sonia’s interpretation of Asifa demonstrated her extraordinary talent in a dual-shade performance, giving the part depth and complexity.
In the movie’s last act, Yogita Bihani displayed her acting prowess by giving standout performances in each of her scenes. Devadarshini, who played Adah’s mother, provided some unforgettable moments.
In conclusion, The Kerala Story makes an effort to bring awareness to a critical topic but falls into the trap of being more motivated by political factors than by cinematic depth. Its treatment is insufficiently sensitive and impartial to adequately address the complexity of the subject.