Vipul Shah's "The Kerala Story," directed by Sudipto Sen, became a box office phenomenon, sparking conversations and controversies alike. The film, starring Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Sonia Balani and Siddhi Idnani, tells the story of four women from Kerala who are allegedly indoctrinated and recruited by ISIS.

Shah has described the film as an amalgamation of years of research and true stories, aiming to bring to light the dangerous threat of radicalization against women in India. He said the film aims to be the voice of thousands of women across the globe who have been exploited for terrorism and other crimes.

The film's release was met with aggressive opposition, and it also triggered a heated political debate, with many questioning the veracity of the claim that 32,000 women from Kerala had gone missing and joined ISIS. The Supreme Court even stayed a ban imposed by the West Bengal government on the film. The court also directed the filmmakers to add a disclaimer regarding the unsubstantiated figure of 32,000, clarifying that the film presents a fictionalized version of the issue and that there is no authentic data to support that number.

Despite the controversies, "The Kerala Story" achieved significant commercial success. Some viewed the film as propaganda. However, Adah Sharma, who played the lead role of Fathima Ba, a Hindu Malayali nurse who was forced to convert to Islam, expressed that the awareness the film created would save the lives of many girls. She also acknowledged the immense love she received from the audience, despite not belonging to a film family. Sharma admitted that playing the character had physically and emotionally scarred her, but that she found fulfillment in knowing the film could change lives and give voice to untold stories.

Ram Gopal Varma praised "The Kerala Story" as one of the best films he had seen in many years. He expressed surprise that a subsequent film by the same team, "Bastar: The Naxal Story," was not as well-received.