The Kashmir Files became one of the highest grossing films of 2022. But with success comes criticism. The movie has got entangled in several controversies since its release and till today, it is targeted for touching debatable issue of exodus of Kashmiri Pandits during militancy in1990.
Recently, screenwriter and director Saeed Akhtar Mirza known for films such as Mohan Joshi Hazir Ho, Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyoon Aata Hai, Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro and Naseem called the film ‘garbage’, besides stating that it is necessary to be human enough to understand the issues and not just make it a point of taking sides.
Though Mirza tagged the movie ‘garbage, he made it clear that the issue faced by the Kashmiri Pandits is real. He said that Kashmiri Pandits did face the agony but they were not alone in these sufferings. Even Muslims are caught in ‘an incredibly vulgar trap of the machinations of intelligence agencies, nations with so-called national interests, and paid guys from across the border, who continue to create havoc.’
Let us tell you that The Kashmir Files is directed by Vivek Agnihotri. It stars Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty, Puneet Issar, Darshan Kumarr and Pallavi Joshi among other.
The film was screened at the recently held 53rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2022 under the Indian Panorama section at IFFI. But there also, the movie faced backlash from Israeli filmmaker and Jury of Head Nadav Lapid. He called it ‘propaganda and vulgar’ film which was inappropriate for an artistic, competitive section of such a prestigious event.