'Priyanandan'Sufi Paranja Katha' set to release Friday

Priyanandan's controversial Malayalam film 'Sufi Paranja Katha' is all set to release Friday after getting a green signal from a court.

Prakash Bare, the lead actor and co-producer of the film, told reporters Thursday that the Kerala High Court had given the film a clean chit.

'There is nothing that hurts the sentiments of either the Muslim or Hindu community at all. In fact, the film is more relevant in today's world and it shows that communities can co-exist as in yesteryears,' said Bare.

'Sufi Paranja Katha' is a film set in the middle of the 19th century. It tells the tale of the marriage of Karthi, played by Bollywood actress Sharbani Mukherjee, to a wandering Muslim trader, played by Bare.

The film is an adaptation of banker-turned-writer K.P. Ramanunni's award-winning novel which he wrote about 18 years ago.

'The response to the film was tremendous when it was screened at the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) 2009. The dialogues of the film, which clearly show that religions can co-exist, were received with huge applause at the IFFK,' said Ramanunni.

Co-producer Thampi Antony, who has played a crucial role in the film, said: 'The moment people heard the film was directed by Priyanandanan, they asked if it was an art film. Many who saw it later said it was a people's film which should be seen by all.'

Sharbani says she didn't know a word of Malayalam when the producers approached her.

'The first thing I did was to read the English novel on which the film is based and once I did that I instantly felt that I should do it. I came with an open mind with no pre-conceived notions,' she said.

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