Survivors recount ‘coercion, violence’ ahead of ‘The Kerala Story 2’ release

Ahead of the release of “The Kerala Story 2 – Goes Beyond”, the film’s makers organised a press conference in the national capital on Monday, bringing together women and families from across the country who they described as victims of alleged forced religious conversion and abuse in relationships.

According to the organisers, victims and family members represented states and cities, including Bengal, Bihar, Bhilwara, Gangapur, Rajkot, Udaipur, Jammu, Maharashtra, Bhopal, Jharkhand, Faridabad, Meerut, Delhi, Noida, Gurugram and Indore.

The press conference was attended by producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah, director Kamakhya Narayan Singh, co-producer Aashin A. Shah and actors Ulka Gupta, Aditi Bhatia and Aishwarya Ojha. However, the focus of the event remained firmly on the testimonies of the women and their families. Among those who spoke at length was national-level shooter Tara Sahdev, who had filed a criminal case against her former husband in 2014.

Addressing claims that such incidents are fabricated, she said her case dates back over a decade and resulted in a prolonged legal battle.

Sahdev alleged that she was introduced to a man under a Hindu identity and married him in July 2014 through Hindu rituals. She claimed that shortly after the wedding, she discovered that her husband was living under a different identity.

Describing the immediate aftermath, she alleged that religious symbols in the house were changed overnight and that she was pressured to convert. She further claimed that she was threatened with harm to her father and brother if she refused to comply.

“I did not even understand what was happening. I just knew I had to survive and protect my family,” she said.

Sahdev alleged that she was confined for around 40 days, physically assaulted and repeatedly pressured to sign documents related to conversion. She claimed influential individuals were involved and that she felt she had nowhere to turn for help. Eventually, with the assistance of a domestic worker, she managed to alert her family. Police intervention led to her rescue.

She said the case was later transferred to the CBI and that after years of trial proceedings, convictions were secured. “What people call a story is our life,” she said, adding that the legal battle lasted nearly nine years.

Another survivor, Rasha from Mumbai, recounted what she described as a similar experience of deception and coercion. She alleged that a man befriended her after adopting a Hindu name and gradually gained her trust. According to her, he brought food to her home when she was unwell and allegedly mixed intoxicants in it. She claimed that he recorded her compromising videos and blackmailed her for several months.

Rasha further alleged that she was taken to Mahim Dargah in Mumbai and pressured to convert. She claimed she was physically assaulted by the man’s family and forced to terminate a pregnancy. “For months, I kept running to the police station to register an FIR,” she said, alleging that initial attempts to file a complaint were unsuccessful.

She also claimed that she was publicly humiliated and assaulted, leaving her traumatised and socially isolated. Eventually, she said, an FIR was registered after intervention at the political level, but she alleged that the accused later secured bail. “I request girls like me to speak up and not remain silent,” she said.

The gathering also included family members of women who, according to organisers, had died in circumstances linked to similar cases.

One mother from Hyderabad alleged that her daughter, Nikita Tomar, had resisted pressure to convert and marry and was later killed outside her college, back in 2020. The family said they are continuing to pursue the matter in court.

Producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah said the press conference was organised to counter claims that the subject matter of the film is fabricated. “This is not just a film. This is a fight,” he said, alleging that a “targeted campaign” was being run to discredit the narrative.