Hindu Exodus Film, 'The Kashmir Files', Takes Box Office By Storm as Filmmaker Plans Series

‘The Kashmir Files’ has taken the box office by storm all over the world as cinemas find themselves packed, recording soaring growth of 325.35 percent with takings of $5.49 million (INR. 422 million) within four days of release.

After receiving rave reviews for ‘The Kashmir Files’ - which has also been declared tax-free by the government of several states - filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri is set to come up with a series about the Kashmiri Hindu exodus, which he portrays as a genocide, based on his four years of research for this movie.

"We’ve so much material that we are able to produce a series. All accounts are heart-wrenching ones. These are human stories ... We are thinking about it ... We will come out with a series," he added.

He faced many difficulties while making the movie - from tracking down around 700 Kashmiri Pandits, who were direct victims of the violence in the Valley, to working in spite of threats and having to get court approval to release the film.

"The immense response that we got from the community was tremendous. These are all true accounts. Nobody knew about these. When we began with the thought, no one believed that this had happened with Kashmiri Hindus," Vivek told Indian media on Monday.

Veteran actor Anupam Kher, who also stars in this movie, was one of the thousands of families who were forced to flee the valley, leaving behind their worldly belongings.

Last year, on the 31st anniversary of the Kashmiri Pandits' exodus, Anupam shared a video recalling the horrors that still break people's heart.

"Deaths, rapes, Kashmiri Pandits shot dead in broad daylight, and thousands of them forced to leave their home. All this was happening in the Eighties ..."

"... But in the small hours of 19 January 1990, thousands of people took to the streets and knocked on the houses of Kashmiri Pandits and told them to flee their home. The demands were accompanied by dangerous threats: a 'Leave, Die, or Convert' announcement was blaring out on a loudspeaker," he said.

'The Kashmir Files' has outshone big star films such as ‘Batman’ starring Robert Pattinson, Bollywood star Alia Bhatt’s ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ and Prabhas and Pooja Hegde’s ‘Radhe Shyam’.

Stunned by the unexpected success and the boost to the movie business, trade analyst and movie critic Joginder Tuteja told Sputnik that ‘The Kashmir Files’ has become symbolic of changes in Bollywood cinema.

“The movie has brought to the forefront the truth about the biggest human tragedy that led to great suffering. However, seeking justice for Kashmiri Hindus through this movie is too far-fetched..."

"... Around 90 percent of the people watching the film haven’t been directly affected by the past incident but they still stand united and feel the pain of those who have had a personal loss,” Joginder added.

The rage for 'The Kashmir Files', Joginder said, has become a case study for the whole film industry and the trade.

“It’s not a fun movie and not easy to watch the tragic plight of Kashmiri Hindus. Despite having no big stars, thrilling action sequences, Bollywood singing and dancing, or humour, this movie is drawing a lot of people solely because of its good content,” Joginder said.

As cinemas are sold out and ‘The Kashmir Files’ tickets selling like hotcakes, several multiplexes and single-screen theatres have scheduled extra viewings and are taking more at the box office on weekdays than at weekends.

Calling it a "Surprise Blockbuster", Kamal Gianchandani, chief executive of PVR Pictures Ltd, tells Sputnik that the release of ‘The Kashmir Files’ has revived cinemas as it draws large audiences back to the theatres after the third wave of COVID.

"Such movies do not have a stellar cast but rely instead on a distinct and strong storyline to back them up. These movies depend on word of mouth and reviews to get audiences to see them during and after the opening weekend,” Gianchandani said.

Kamal shared that the movie has surpassed all other films that are playing at the cinemas at present. In the first weekend of release, ‘The Kashmir Files’ drew crowds which filled 90 percent of cinemas' capacity.

"We released it in all our theatres. However, the number of shows per property has steadily increased during the weekend after seeing the huge response from the audiences,” Gianchandani added.

A lot of people, including the families of the victims, throng to cinemas in India, the UK, US, and other countries to watch the film and support the call for justice for the Kashmiri Pandits on social media.

On 19 January 1990, thousands of Kashmiri Pandit families fled the Kashmir Valley because of escalating violence by Islamist radicals that led to many people dying. They lived as refugees in other Indian states after this exodus.

The Jammu and Kashmir was given a special status under Article 370 of the Indian Constitution in which the seven-decade quasi-autonomy of the state had allowed the region's legislature to make its own laws. It also banned people from outside the state from getting state government jobs.

However in 2019, the Narendra Modi-led government scrapped Article 370, revoking the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir's special status, turning it into a federally administered Union Territory like any other Union Territory in the country.