17 May, Srinagar: The Kashmiri Pandit girl who portrays Husna in “The Kerala Story” has said that the film is not anti-religious, but rather condemns the “misuse of religion to create hate and violence.”
Eleena Koul, who is now based in Delhi, plays the role of ‘Roohi’ in the biography short film “Idli Amma” (2023), which is based on the life of M Kamalathal and is competing in film festivals with great hopes of winning a national prize.
Eleena earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism from Delhi University and then attended The Indian School of Acting in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, for acting training. She attends classes online at IGNOU, the Indira Gandhi National Open University, working towards a degree in journalism and mass communication.
Eleena revealed to the KNO news agency that she had wanted to be an actress ever since she was three years old in an exclusive interview. She was able to get advice on how to break into the acting field after networking with professionals in the film and theatre business in Delhi. She gained an appreciation for elegance and refinement from her cinephile grandpa.
After deliberating for two years, Eleena finally decided to pursue acting and enrolled in lessons for a year. Shortly after finishing her acting course, she was cast in the film “Idli Amma,” where she co-starred with Sarita Joshi.
Despite turning down other offers, Eleena played Husna in “The Kerala Story” because she related to the character and thought it was important to bring attention to the plight of women all around the globe. Despite the fact that she saw a lot of differences between Husna and herself in terms of physical appearance, mannerisms, speech, and behaviour, she was proud to perform the role.
As Eleena said, the film “The Kerala Story” is not anti-religious but rather condemns the use of faith for destructive ends. She condemned individuals who use the religion of Islam for their personal ends and emphasised that Islam does not promote violence.
Eleena was born in Jammu, although she is originally from the Kokernag region of the Anantnag district in southern Kashmir. She urged budding performers in Jammu and Kashmir to learn the craft, get some formal training, check out some films, read up on acting theory, and hone their creativity and listening skills.
Eleena spoke highly of the young people of Jammu and Kashmir, saying that she has faith in their skill and capacity to succeed wherever they set their sights. She thanked her family, friends, and complete strangers for their support and said she had other projects in the works.
Love jihad is explored in “The Kerala Story,” with a particular emphasis on the reported kidnapping of women from Kerala to ISIS-controlled zones after they have converted to Islam.
When the film’s trailer was published in November 2022, it was met with criticism for making Kerala seem like a hotbed of Islamic extremism. A complaint was filed under sections 153 A and B of the Indian Penal Code, which prohibit inciting religious hatred and hostility.
However, Sen assured the public that the video will address concerns and give further evidence whenever it was released.
