Anupam Kher Reacts After IFFI Jury Head Calls The Kashmir Files “Propaganda, Vulgar” Movie
Updated on: 29 November, 2022 05:43 PM IST |Pallavi Parihar
The Kashmir Files is a movie directed by Vivek Agnihotri based on the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from their homeland, Kashmir in 1990. It is a heart-wrenching tale that captures the pain, suffering, and struggle of the Kashmiri Pandit community. The movie released on March 11, received the Centre`s endorsement including that of the Prime Minister. It performed exceptionally well at the box office. It also received criticism from some people.
The Kashmir Files was screened on 22 November as a part of the Indian Panorama Section at the International Film Festival Of India. But a massive controversy has broken out as it received a shocking response from one of the jury heads. Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid, jury head, criticizes the film by saying that the jury was “disturbed and shocked” and deemed it “inappropriate for an artistic competitive section of such a prestigious film festival.”
Nadav Lapid said at the closing ceremony of the film festival: “I would like to thank the head of the festival and the director of the programming for the cinematic richness of the program, for its diversity, for its complexity. It was intense. We saw seven films in the debutant competition, and 15 films in the international competition, the front window of the festival. 14 out of them had cinematic qualities, defaults and evoked vivid discussions.”
He even added, “All of us were disturbed and shocked by the 15th film, The Kashmir Files. That felt like a propaganda, vulgar movie, inappropriate for an artistic competitive section of such a prestigious film festival. I feel totally comfortable openly sharing these feelings here with you at this stage. In the spirit of this festival, we can surely also accept a critical discussion, which is essential for art and life”.
The actors of the film Anupam Kher and Darshan Kumaar reacted to this criticism. Anupam Kher shared a picture on his social media handle which included his still from the film as well as the official cover of The Schindler`s List, and wrote, ‘The truth will always triumph”.
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Darshan Kumaar also expressed his disappointment over the jury Nadav’s comment. In an interview with a leading news agency, he said, “Everyone has their own individual opinions on anything they see and perceive. But one can’t deny the fact that The Kashmir Files is a film which has depicted the actual plight of the Kashmiri Pandit community, who are still fighting for justice against the brutal acts of terrorism. So this film is not based on vulgarity but on reality.”
Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri responded to the controversy in a tweet, writing, “Truth is the most dangerous thing. It can make people lie.”
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