Vivek Agnihotri, the director of The Kashmir Files which was called a vulgar and propaganda film at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa, has issued a video statement amid the entire controversy. Reacting to Israeli film director Nadav Lapid's remark on the film, he said it is not new to him as people have been objecting to the project ever since he started researching the subject. Vivek, hitting back at Nadav, told in the video that The Kashmir Files was made after interviewing 700 people who were first-hand witnesses to the genocide.
In his video statement, Vivek said, "This is nothing new for me because such things are often said by terrorist organisations, urban naxals and by those who want to divide the country. What is shocking to me is that narrative supported by those who wish to separate Kashmir from India was voiced at the stage of an event organised by the government of India. And a few who live in India used it against the country. Who are these people who always stand against India? This film was made after interviewing 700 people, whose families and kins were killed, gang-raped and cut in halves. Are those 700 people spreading propaganda and talking vulgar?"
#Breaking: #IFFI Jury says they were “disturbed and shocked” to see #NationalFilmAward winning #KashmirFiles, “a propoganda, vulgar movie” in the competition section of a prestigious festival— organised by the Govt of India.
Over to @vivekagnihotri sir…
@nadavlapi pic.twitter.com/ove4xO8Ftr— Navdeep Yadav (@navdeepyadav321) November 28, 2022
He further added that if anything shown in The Kashmir Files is proven wrong, he will quit filmmaking. "It is often said that The Kashmir Files is a propaganda movie, that the Hindus were never killed in the valley. So today, I challenge all intellectuals, urban naxals and this great filmmaker from Israel: if they can prove that a single shot, dialogue, event from The Kashmir Files is untrue, I would stop making movies," he shared.
Terror supporters and Genocide deniers can never silence me.
Jai Hind. #TheKashmirFiles #ATrueStory pic.twitter.com/jMYyyenflc— Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri (@vivekagnihotri) November 29, 2022
During the closing ceremony of IFFI, Nadav told, "I would like to thank the head of the festival and the director of the programming for the cinematic richness of the programme, 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."
After his comment went viral, the Israeli envoy to India, Naor Gilon, slammed him and said he should be ashamed of his remark. He demanded an apology from the filmmaker for his unpleasant statement.
An open letter to #NadavLapid following his criticism of #KashmirFiles. It’s not in Hebrew because I wanted our Indian brothers and sisters to be able to understand. It is also relatively long so I’ll give you the bottom line first. YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED. Here’s why: pic.twitter.com/8YpSQGMXIR
— Naor Gilon (@NaorGilon) November 29, 2022
Pallavi Joshi, who acted and produced The Kashmir Files, issued a statement and called Nadav a 'genocide denier'. She wrote, "For decades the international community remained silent on the sufferings of the Kashmiri Pandit Community. After 3 decades, the Indian film industry finally realised that it needs to tell India's story truthfully and objectively. Vivek and I were always aware that there are elements that would not like to see the stark truth on the screen, but it is very unfortunate that a creative platform was used for a political agenda to preserve an old, false and jaded narrative about Kashmir. We are overwhelmed by the way people of India rose to defend The Kashmir Files against the rude and vulgar statements of a genocide denier. I would like to assure our audience and supporters that The Kashmir Files remains a people's film. I also want to thank the Israeli Ambassador H.E Naor Gilon and the Consul General Shri Kobbi Shoshani for their support."
The Kashmir Files starring Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty, Darshan Kumaar, Bhasha Sumbli, Pallavi Joshi, Puneet Issar, Chinmay Mandlekar, Prakash Belawadi, Atul Srivastava and Mrinal Kulkarni released in theatres on March 11.
(Source: Twitter)
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