The ongoing debate over the film The Kerala Story continues to stir controversy.

Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah commented on the rising trend of "Muslim hating" in current films, labelling them as propaganda, as reported by the media.

Shah, who most recently appeared in the web series Taj: Divided by Blood, is recognised for his outspokenness, particularly towards the ruling party whom he frequently criticises in interviews.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Shah said, "The kind of stuff that’s pure, undisguised propaganda is being lapped up and it’s a reflection of the zeitgeist of the times."

He called out the ruling party, saying, "Muslim hating is fashionable these days, even among educated people. It’s what the ruling party has very cleverly tapped into this nerve. We talk about secular this, democracy that, so why are you introducing religion into everything?"

Going after the Election Commission, the Sarfarosh actor said, "I mean how spineless is the Election Commission of ours? Who doesn’t even dare utter a word. If there had been a Muslim leader who had said, ‘Allah hu Akbar bol ke button dabao’, sh*t would have hit the fan."

"But here our Prime Minister goes ahead and says things like this and yet he loses," Shah said.

"So, I have hope that this will wear off. But it’s definitely, at the moment, at its peak. It’s been a very clever card played by this government, and it has worked. Let’s see how long it continues to work."