Investigating the impact of "The Kerala Story" on religious conflict in India and its ripple effect on Twitter

The "The Kerala Story" is far from done. Political figures and community leaders in Kerala, home to 33 million people, have claimed that the movie is a component of a bigger effort to incite religious and racial conflicts in Kerala, one of India's most socially progressive states. Nonetheless, the movie has come under fire for propagating negative stereotypes and for how it portrays Muslims. Although the film's creators assert that it results from years of research, others have dismissed it as propaganda that seeks to demonize Muslims and paint them as terrorists. This research examines the influence of the Bollywood film "The Kerala Story" on incidents of religious conflict in India, as well as delves into the responses of Twitter users towards the movie. Employing a mixed-methods methodology, the study analyses the movie’s content, the Twitter activity during its release, and the survey responses obtained from a diverse group of Twitter users. The research highlights the significance of responsible storytelling in fostering social cohesion and religious harmony. The findings provide insight into the influence of media in perpetuating or mitigating religious violence, emphasizing the importance of developing critical media literacy and fostering open dialogue to navigate intricate religious dynamics within diverse societies. The chain reaction from society affects various sectors, such as the media and entertainment industries, policymakers, and civil society.