'The Kerala Story' to release in 37 countries on May 12

The Kerala Story will be released in 37 countries on May 12, the movie's lead Adah Sharma said on Wednesday.

The film on conversion has polarised the political discourse in the country, leading to bans in some states and a tax-free status in others, and has earned Rs 56 crore at the box office since its release last Friday.

Sharma took to Twitter to thank the audience for supporting the film: "Thank you to all the crores of you who are going to watch our film, thank you for making it trend, thank you for loving my performance. This weekend the 12th #TheKeralaStory releases internationally in 37 countries (or more) #adahsharma."

Directed by Sudipto Sen and produced by Vipul Shah, the film depicts how women from Kerala were forced to convert to Islam and recruited by the terror group Islamic State (IS).

The Kerala Story has been banned in West Bengal and multiplexes in Tamil Nadu have stopped its screenings, citing a law-and-order situation, whereas BJP-ruled states like Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh have given it a tax-free status.