After the International Film Festival of India’s (IFFI) jury head, Nadav Lapid criticised Vivek Agnihotri’s The Kashmir Files, Anupam Kher, who played a key role in the film, shared his response. The actor compared the exodus of the Kashmiri Hindus, on which the film is based, to the holocaust and said, “If the holocaust is right, the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits is right too." He added that this seems pre-planned as the ‘toolkit gang’ became active immediately after the statement.
Anupam Kher further continued, “It’s shameful for him to make a statement like this. Jews have suffered holocaust and he comes from that community."
#WATCH | Anupam Kher speaks to ANI on Int'l Film Festival of India Jury Head remarks for 'Kashmir Files', "…If holocaust is right, the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits is right too. Seems pre-planned as immediately after that the toolkit gang became active. May God give him wisdom.." pic.twitter.com/cUQ1bqzFs7— ANI (@ANI) November 29, 2022
The actor later took to his Twitter handle to share a long video talking about the same. “The truth of ‘Kashmir files’ is stuck like a thorn in the throat of some people. They are neither able to swallow it nor spit it out!" he wrote.
‘कश्मीर फ़ाइल्स’ का सच कुछ लोगो के गले में एक काँटे की तरह अटक गया है।वो ना उसे निगल पा रहे है ना उगल! इस सच को झूठा साबित करने के लिए उनकी आत्मा,जो मर चुकी है, बुरी तरह से छटपटा रही है।पर हमारी ये फ़िल्म अब एक आंदोलन है फ़िल्म नहीं।तुच्छ #Toolkit गैंग वाले लाख कोशिश करते रहें।🙏 pic.twitter.com/ysKwCraejt— Anupam Kher (@AnupamPKher) November 29, 2022
For the uninitiated, at the closing ceremony of the 53rd International Film Festival of India, jury head, Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid criticised The Kashmir Files and said that the film felt like a ‘propaganda, vulgar movie.’
Lapid 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."
Following his statement, his fellow jury member and filmmaker Sudipto Sen took to Twitter to clarify that it was Nadav’s personal opinion and that the jury board has nothing to do with it. He took to Twitter to write that as jurors, they don’t indulge in any kind of personal comments on any film and if it is done, it is completely in personal capacity and has nothing to do with the jury board.
Meanwhile, The Kashmir Files is directed by Vivek Agnihotri and stars Anupam Kher, Darshan Kumar, Pallavi Joshi and Mithun Chakraborty among others.
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