Thiruvananthapuram, Aug. 2 -- Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday said that the great cultural heritage of Indian cinema was insulted by recognising 'The Kerala Story' in the 71st National Film Awards. He appealed to the artistic community of Kerala to unite against this "unfortunate move."

He termed the award to 'The Kerala Story', which "defames Kerala society", as an acknowledgement of the "cultural corruption that misuses films as a means to spread communal hatred."

"While remembering the historical glory of Malayalam cinema, one more thing needs to be said. It is about the efforts that some people are currently making to destroy this glory. The National Film Awards were announced yesterday. A film that defames Kerala...