The Kerala Story, released on Zee5 on February 16, 2024, stirred controversy in 2023. Initially accused of pushing a particular religious agenda, the movie claimed to be based on a true story involving 32,000 women forcefully converted and sent to ISIS-controlled regions.
However, it later revised the narrative, focusing on three women, with Bollywood actress Adah Sharma portraying Nimisha AKA Fathima Isa. As per a popular website reports, Shalini Unnikrishnan, portrayed by Adah Sharma, represents the real-life Nimisha AKA Fathima Isa, one of the four women from Kerala who joined ISIS in Afghanistan.
Reports stated that Nimisha Fathima, formerly Nimisha Sampath, went missing in 2017 and was reported to be brainwashed. Her mother appealed to authorities, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to bring her back.
As of the latest information, Nimisha Fathima and other Indian women were held in a high-security prison in Afghanistan, but the Indian government denied their extradition. After the Taliban came to power, they were reportedly freed, leaving their current whereabouts unknown. Whether Nimisha is living in Afghanistan or has sought asylum elsewhere remains a mystery.
