'The Kashmir Files Included in IFFI Due To Political Pressure': Nadav Lapid

Nadav Lapid had earlier stated that the Vivek Agnihotri directorial was a "vulgur, propaganda" movie

Filmmaker Nadav Lapid's criticism of The Kashmir Files has triggered a controversy.

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Israeli Filmmaker Nadav Lapid, whose criticism of The Kashmir Files made headlines, has once again spoken about the "manipulative" nature of the film. At the International Film Festival of India's (IFFI) closing ceremony, he had stated that the Vivek Agnihotri directorial was a "vulgar, propaganda" movie that had left the festival's jury "shocked and disturbed."

Now, Nadav has told the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz, “Making bad films is not a crime, but this is a very crude, manipulative and violent propaganda film.”

He added that he felt that it was his duty to speak his mind as a member of the jury. “The truth is that I also couldn't help but imagine a similar situation that might happen one day soon in Israel, and I would be happy that in such a situation the head of a foreign jury would be willing to say things as he sees them. In a way, I felt it was my duty to the place that invited me,” he added.

"We learned that the film was pushed into the official competition of the festival due to political pressure... I feel as a foreigner who arrives there, you have an obligation to say the things that the people who live there may have a harder time saying. In such contexts, I don't believe in secrets and whispers. If you stand on stage and are asked to speak, what will you talk about? Only about the beaches you saw and the food you ate?"

Nadav Lapid, Filmmaker

He also went on to talk about the government of the country, “Since this is a film that the Indian government encourages, I assume that the government there is not happy about it. But is a country only about its government? I assume not. What I said is not comfortable for the Government of India, nor for the government in the making in Israel, which the ambassador there represents."

The Kashmir Files depicts the exodus and killings of the Kashmiri Pandits in the valley in 1990. Although it was well-received in India, several criticized the film and called out Agnihotri for its propagandist tone.

The director of the film has also responded to the criticism. He has now announced a sequel to The Kashmir Files, claiming he will uncover the "whole truth."

(With inputs from PTI)