Written and directed by Vivek Agnihotri and produced by Zee Studios, the film depicts the exodus of Kashmiri Hindus from Kashmir following systematic killings of people.
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Nadav Lapid, an Israeli filmmaker and jury head of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) which is being held in Goa, condemned the inclusion of Vivek Agnihotri’s “The Kashmir Files” in the list, calling it “propaganda, vulgar movie”.
In his address to the audience, Nadav said, “We were, all of us, disturbed and shocked by the 15th film: The Kashmir Files. That felt to us like propaganda, vulgar movie, inappropriate for an artistic competitive section of such a prestigious film festival. I feel totally comfortable to share openly these feelings here with you on stage. Since the spirit of having a festival is to accept also a critical discussion which is essential for art and for life.”
The Kashmir Files was also screened at the festival last week. Kashmir Files is helmed by Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri. The film, which was released in theatres on March 11, revolves around the killings and exodus of Kashmiri Pandits in 1990 from the valley. While the film was a hit in India, many have criticised it as well for its alleged propagandist tone.
Singapore even banned the film assessing it to be “beyond” the city-state’s film classification guidelines. According to reports, the Singaporean authorities refused classification of the Hindi-language film for “its provocative and one-sided portrayal of Muslims and the depictions of Hindus being persecuted in the on-going conflict in Kashmir”.