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Nadav Lapid's "vulgar, propagandist" remark about Kashmir Files, filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri threatened to walk away
Nadav Lapid's "vulgar, propagandist" remark about Kashmir Files, filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri threatened to walk away
Following Nadav Lapid's "vulgar, propagandist" remark about Kashmir Files, filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri threatened to walk away from the industry.
Director Vivek Agnihotri has finally spoken out in response to Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid's criticism of The Kashmir Files. Lapid, in his role as president of the jury at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), deemed The Kashmir Files a "vulgar" piece of propaganda during Monday's awards ceremony.
The film, which is based on the mass migration of Hindus from Kashmir in the 1990s, caused controversy upon its debut due to its fiery tone and the perception that it was biased against Kashmir's Muslim majority. Anupam Kher, the film's most visible actor, Pallavi Joshi, a member of the cast and the film's producer, and the Israeli ambassador to India have all spoken out against Lapid's remarks.
Agnihotri added in his video statement, "Friends, yesterday at IFFI, the jury chairman called The Kashmir Files a disgusting, propagandist film." He spoke in Hindi. Not a new concept to me. Terrorists, members of the Tukde Tukde Gang, and other urban Naxals have said this for years. What really caught me off guard, though, was that the Indian government had sponsored an event where a terrorist could share his story. Moreover, native-born Indians have turned this story around in their own nation.
Finally, he vowed that he will continue to fight no matter how much resistance he encounters, yet his words included overtones of intolerance. When The Kashmir Files first came out, it was met with much criticism. However, it was backed by several state governments and championed by influential members of the governing party. Nearly Rs 350 crore was its final global gross.
