Opening on positive reviews from critics, filmmaker and producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s latest film Shikara, must have helped him heave a sigh of relief for a day, but not any longer. Now as per reports in IANS, filmmaker has slammed the people criticizing his film, calling them donkeys. Shikara is a movie based on the life of Kashmiri Pandits in 1990 and the struggle they faced during the Islamist insurgency. Also the film is said to be very close to the maker’s heart as Chopra too hails from the same state.
Vidhu Vinod Chopra quoted to the agency, “3 Idiots, which I produced earned Rs 33 crore on its first day of release, and we knew the first day collection of 'Shikara' will be 30 lakh. Despite that we gave 11 years of our life to make this film. I feel today things are very funny because I've made films that collected Rs 30 crore on its first day, and when I make a film that collects Rs 30 lakh on its first day in the memory of my mother, people say I have commercialised the pain of Kashmiri people. I feel people who think that way are gadhe (donkeys), and that's why I want to tell you, don't be donkeys. First see the film and then form your opinions.” ALSO READ: Shikara, Movie Review: What A Poetry, What A Painting This Sadia-Aadil Love Story In The Valley!
The above quote was said by the filmmaker during the promotion of the movie in one of the colleges in Mumbai. According to many of the viewers, the filmmaker turned blind eye to many atrocities faced by Kashmiri Pandits by not including them in his movie. Reports also stated of a certain woman in the capital lashing out at the filmmaker after watching the movie claiming it to be commercialised with no authenticity to it. ALSO READ: Shikara Screening: Vidhu Vinod Chopra Faces Backlash As A Kashmiri Pandit Calls His Film 'Ghatiya'- VIDEO
On the contrary, he mentioned not comprising on any of his films to date in his career, “All my life I have never compromised on films I have made, whether it is 3 Idiots or the Munna Bhai series or Shikara. In every film, I tried and give you guys a message. In Munna Bhai, I talked about Jaadu ki jhappi and in ‘3 Idiots' I gave critical advice to students, to chase excellence and success will follow. I am happy to say that many lives changed with that film,” he added.
He also urged the audience to go watch the movie and shut all the criticizers, who are putting the film in a bad light. He also penned an open letter on Facebook speaking about this hatred towards his film. The letter also mentioned the suffering he and his family had to go through, compelling them to release their homeland. ALSO READ: Shikara Trailer Launch: Vidhu Vinod Chopra Felt Casting Bollywood Actors In The Film Would Have Made It Look ‘Fake’
Image Source: Instagram/vidhuvinodchoprafilms/ianslife