India, Aug. 15 -- Following The Kerala Story's (2023) recognition at the National Film Awards, actor Adah Sharma has issued a strong statement defending the film and its message, calling it her "responsibility" to give voice to the victims' stories. In a candid reflection on the film's controversial reception, Adah says, "Everyone is allowed to have their opinion. I think it would have been shameful not to make this film. I have met 25 girls who went through the horrors. The film is a diluted version of what they went through." The movie, which sparked national conversation upon its release, was based on real accounts of young women allegedly trafficked, radicalised, and forced into terrorist organisations. Adah portrayed one such victim in the film, a role she says came with a deep sense of moral responsibility. "I was very nervous for them to watch the film," she shares, "but thankfully, they loved it. After meeting those girls, I felt it was my responsibility to tell their story." Addressing the backlash that labelled the film and its winning National Awards shameful and "politically motivated," Adah does not mince words: "If telling the truth is being shameful, then I don't mind being shameless. I have no shame in saying I am anti-terrorism." Adah also pushes back against claims that The Kerala Story was politically charged: "There is no mention of any political leader or party. For me, it has been a story of girls who are trafficked, brainwashed, and taken to become terrorists. I stand with these girls. If that is political, then so be it."...