The Kerala Story’ begins in the interrogation room where Shalini Adah Sharma is revealing details of her horrific and tragic past and the reason why she is in a situation of crisis. Her backstory revolves around four college students who have enrolled in a Nursing School in Kasargauda, Kerala. The story is narrated from the perspective of Shalini, who shares a deep bond with her roommates Gitanjali (Siddhi Idnani), Nimah (Yogita Bihani), and Asifa Sonia Balani. Unbeknownst to others, Asifa has a secret agenda to expose and convert her roommates to Islam. With the assistance of her male associates from outside, she ensures that the girls are radicalized and indoctrinated into the religion using hallucinogenic drugs.

 After Shalini becomes pregnant, she is compelled to marry someone other than the man who impregnated her and then embarks on a long journey to Syria via Pakistan and Afghanistan

Adah Sharma's portrayal of Shalini who eventually renamed Fatima, is powerful and emotionally stirring. Her hard work in getting the Malayali accent right is evident on screen. While many of the actors, Yogita Bihani, Sonia Balani, and Siddhi Idnani are newcomers, they put their best foot forward to bring their stories to life. Director Sudipto Sen has opted for a subject that’s both sensitive and complex and the treatment that has been meted out to the film makes it a difficult watch with several disturbing scenes, moments, and dialogues