“Nobody’s really watching The Kerala Story”: Rahul Gandhi criticises use of films for political propaganda

Sharing a video of his interaction with students of Marian College in Idukki, Kerala, on social media, Gandhi said cinema and media were increasingly being “weaponised” to vilify communities and create social divisions.

Captioning the post, Gandhi wrote, “The real Kerala story – compassion, unity, and always standing by one another. Cinema and media should bring people together, not be weaponised to divide society or vilify communities.”In the video, a student asked Gandhi whether cinema was increasingly being used as a political propaganda tool to shape public perception, referring to controversies around films such as “The Kerala Story.”

Responding to the question, Gandhi said that the public understands the social and cultural fabric of Kerala.

“‘The Kerala Story’s’ hall seems to be empty, and nobody’s really watching it. And it shows you that there are people, the majority of this country, have an understanding of what Kerala is and Kerala’s traditions and cultures,” Gandhi said.He also reflected on his experience as the then Member of Parliament from Wayanad for five years and the lessons he learnt from the people of the state.

“I spent five years being an MP from Wayanad. I learnt a lot from the people of Kerala, and also the people of Wayanad. When I first arrived there, there was a big landslide, and a lot of people had died. I was very surprised at the reaction of the people to that landslide. In fact, I was very impressed by it,” Gandhi said.Describing the response of local residents during the tragedy, he highlighted the spirit of solidarity among the people.

“It was quite amazing to see that somebody who’s lost his family, lost his house, he’s interested in helping somebody else. And it didn’t matter what community that person was from, what religion, none of that mattered. It was that there’s a problem, and all of us have to get together to solve the problem. I found that to be a very powerful thing,” he said.Gandhi further said the people of Kerala are widely respected across the country. “Of course, you people have made us very proud. The only thing one hears about the people of Kerala is praise,” he said.

He also reiterated his concerns about the role of media and films in shaping narratives. “Movies, TV, media have been weaponised to vilify people, to alienate people, to create division in society so that certain people can benefit and other people are harmed,” Gandhi said.