The row over Nadav Lapid’s criticism of Vivek Agnihotri’s ‘The Kashmir Files’ – a film about Kashmiri Pandits – refuses to die down, with top diplomats from Israel and Indian actors and politicians lashing out at the filmmaker and demanding an apology. Israeli ambassador, Naor Gilon and Bollywood actor Anupam Kher are among those who criticized Lapid, while Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi defended the filmmaker.
Here are the top points in this big story:
• Israeli Ambassador Gilon and Kobbi Shoshani, his country’s Consul General for Central West India, were sharply critical of Lapid and his remarks. In an open letter posted on Twitter, Gilon told Lapid “you should be ashamed” and that it was “insensitive and presumptuous” of him to talk about a topic that has deep-rooted social, cultural, political, economic and religious implications in India. Shoshani said that Lapid’s remarks were “his own private opinion” and that “it was not appropriate.” The Consul General acknowledged: “I can’t force anybody to apologize (but) I think they have to…”.
•The jury at the International Film Festival of India – which Lapid headed – also distanced itself from the remark, stressing that they “never talked about likes or dislikes”. Indian film director Sudipto Sen, who was also a member of the jury, said, “We (as judges) do not make any political comments on any film and if we do, it is entirely at personal discretion.”
• Bollywood actor Anupam Kher and ‘The Kashmir Files’ director Vivek Agnihotri also made it to the line-up. Kher – who played the lead role – said Lapid had hurt “the people who were victims of this tragedy” and Agnihotri simply posted a cryptic tweet saying “the truth… can make people lie”.
• Amit Malviya – the head of the IT cell of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party – likened Lapid’s remark to Holocaust denial. “For the longest time people even denied the Holocaust and called ‘Schindler’s List’ propaganda, just like some are doing with the Kashmir Papers. The truth will prevail in the end no matter what,” he said. The remarks were made on Monday evening; Lapid said “The Kashmir Files” — screened at the festival — “felt like propaganda … (and) a vulgar film,” which shocked the jury. “It seemed to us (the jury) like a propaganda film not suitable for the artistic competition section of such a prestigious film festival,” he said.
• Shiv Sena MPs Priyanka Chaturvedi and Sanjay Raut also joined the fray, with the former tweeting “it is clear… that at no point did Lapid deny or dismiss the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits”. She said the filmmaker’s comment was only about “the way the film handled the subject” and “made it a propaganda” production. Raut claimed that the film “was the propaganda of one party…”. Supriya Shrinate of the Congress tweeted Lapid’s speech and said that “hate will eventually be created”. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his government, the BJP, the right-wing ecosystem feverishly promoted ‘The Kashmir Files’… a film that was rejected by the International Film Festival of India,” she said.
• Actress Swara Bhasker – a vocal critic of the Narendra Modi government – also tweeted in support of Lapid, sharing a news report on the controversy and writing: “Apparently it’s pretty clear to the world (sic).” ‘The Kashmir Files’ – written and directed by Agnihotri – is based on the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley in the 1990s when militancy was rampant. The film was praised and promoted by top BJP leaders, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who called it a “bold representation of the truth”. The chief ministers of several states ruled by the party have granted tax-exempt status to the film.
