‘Kashmir Files Unreported’: Row Spurs Indian Filmmaker to Announce Sequel
15:42 GMT 30.11.2022 (Updated: 05:33 GMT 30.04.2023)
© AFP 2023 / MONEY SHARMA
Subscribe
Israeli filmmaker and jurist at the International Film Festival of India Nadav Lapid sparked uproar by calling 'The Kashmir Files' a “vulgar and propaganda film”.
Indian filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri has announced a follow-up film titled 'The Kashmir Files Unreported' to “expose the whole truth" about the exodus of Kashmiri Hindus from Kashmir.
His announcement came after a row sparked by the jury of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) and Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid.
Lapid called the first Kashmir Files movie: "A vulgar and propaganda film inappropriate for a competitive artistic section of such a prestigious film festival," during his speech at the closing ceremony of the 53rd edition of IFFI on Monday.
The movie is one of the highest-gross Indian films of the year, minting over $41.92 million at the box office worldwide. It is based on the exodus of Kashmiri Hindus from the valley in the 1990s in which around 62,000 Kashmiri Pandit families from Jammu and Kashmir were forced to flee their homes and hundreds of thousands were killed amid escalating violence against Hindus.
Soon after the incident, Lapid's speech went viral as several people slammed the filmmaker for his insensitive remark.
Shameless statement on The Kashmir Files by someone who comes across as illiterate. Will this Israeli film director Nadav Lapid call Holocaust a propaganda?
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) November 28, 2022
Will he call Schindler’s List and The Pianist as propaganda films? @netanyahu @NaorGilonpic.twitter.com/yuUF8pl5xs
Following days of backlash online, Lapid said that he continues to stick by his views on 'The Kashmir Files' but added that he found it to be "brilliant" during an interview with Indian media on Wednesday.
He also claimed that the furor over his speech was "cheap manipulation in order to incite people."
“On propaganda: no one can determine what is propaganda, I accept this fact, it’s a brilliant movie. What I have done it’s my duty to say what I see. It’s a very subjective way,” Lapid said, adding that the other jury members felt the same way, but didn't speak openly.
A day after Lapid's speech, Agnihotri hit out at him in a video statement in which he said that he will stop making films if anyone proves that any part of his film is false.
“I challenge the world’s intellectuals and ‘urban Naxals’ as well as the great filmmaker who came from Israel if they can prove that any shot, dialogue or event of ‘The Kashmir Files’ is not absolute truth, I’ll stop making films. I’m not someone who will back down. Issue as many fatwas as you want, but I’ll keep fighting,” Agnihotri said.
Terror supporters and Genocide deniers can never silence me.
— Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri (@vivekagnihotri) November 29, 2022
Jai Hind. #TheKashmirFiles #ATrueStory pic.twitter.com/jMYyyenflc
For his part, Israel's Ambassador Naor Gilon wrote an open letter in which he apologized to the filmmaker and India, as well as expressing his disapproval towards Lapid's views.
"As a human being, I feel ashamed and want to apologize to our hosts for the bad manner in which we repaid them for their generosity and friendship," Gilson wrote.
Israeli Ambassador to India, Naor Gilon, react to filmmaker Nadav Lapid's remark on 'The Kashmir Files' movie
© Photo : Twitter/@NaorGilon
Kashmiri Pandits in India's Jammu and Kashmir and survivors of exodus condemned Lapid's remark on 'The Kashmir Files'.
A message from Israel for the juries of humanity. By @HananyaNaftali.
— Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri (@vivekagnihotri) November 30, 2022
pic.twitter.com/eE6VsvWhHc
I am a Kashmiri Muslim.
— Javed Beigh (@JavedBeigh) November 28, 2022
The Kashmir Files movie is not "Vulgar Propaganda". It is horrifying TRUTH & REALITY of what happened to my Kashmiri Hindu Pandit brothers & sisters. I have seen this with my own eyes. And I am ready to repeat this million times. https://t.co/bTADyDNIhx
Netizens react to Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid's remark over 'The Kashmir Files' movie
© Photo : Twitter/@vivekagnihotri
Netizens react to Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid's remark over 'The Kashmir Files' movie
© Photo : Twitter/@PoojaSahli
Netizens react to Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid's remark over 'The Kashmir Files' movie
© Photo : Twitter/@ANI
However, some people, including actress Swara Bhaskar, agreed with Lapid's views on 'The Kashmir File' being a propaganda movie, leaving the internet divided.
Bollywood actress Swara Bhasker react to Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid's remark on The Kashmir Files
© Photo : Twitter/@ReallySwara
