The Kashmir Files is one of the most controversial films of 2022. This Vivek Agnihotri film was majorly vocal about the 1990s exodus of Kashmiri Hindus from Indian-administered Kashmir, and it sparked discussions about the same. Actor Anupam Kher, who played the key role in the film has now taken a dig at IFFI Jury Head Nadav Lapid for calling the film "propaganda, vulgar" at the festival's closing ceremony on Monday.
Furthermore, filmmaker Ashoke Pandit also slammed Lapid.
Now, a video from the festival has also gone viral and it featured Lapid making controversial remarks about the film. Meanwhile, an IFFI rep confirmed to ANI that the Israeli filmmaker made the remark at the closing ceremony, as reported by Hindustan Times.
"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," he said in his speech.
"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, can surely also accept a critical discussion, which is essential for art and life," he further said.
Anupam Kher, in his tweet, reacted to Lapid’s remarks, and wrote, "No matter how high the height of the lie is.. It is always small in comparison to the truth." Kher also attached pictures from The Kashmir Files and Steven Spielberg's film Schindler's List with his tweet.
झूट का क़द कितना भी ऊँचा क्यों ना हो..
— Anupam Kher (@AnupamPKher) November 28, 2022
सत्य के मुक़ाबले में हमेशा छोटा ही होता है.. pic.twitter.com/OfOiFgkKtD
Ashoke Pandit, on the other hand, slammed Lapid's remarks. "I take strong objection to the language used by Mr. Nadav Lapid for #kashmirFiles. Depicting the genocide of 3 lakh #KashmiriHindus cannot be called vulgar. I as a filmmaker & a #KashmiriPandit condemn this shameless act of abuse towards victims of terrorism.”
For the unversed, The Kashmir Files was released earlier this year in theatres and it told the story about the Hindu exodus in the 1990s and targeted killings of the Kashmiri Pandits. Interestingly, the film emerged as one of the highest-grossing Bollywood films of 2022 and Anupam Kher was praised for his performance.
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