The controversial Bollywood movie 'The Kashmir Files', which is based on the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits in the 1990s, continues to be the talk of the town, drawing mixed responses from the public and critics.
While many have criticised the movie for not depicting the facts accurately, several celebrities and journalists have lauded the film.
Speaking on the sidelines of an event in Delhi, Bollywood actor Aamir Khan said he was happy that the film was doing well and added that he would definitely watch it.
Movie Must Be Watched by All Indians: Aamir Khan
"What happened to Kashmiri Pandits is a matter of great sorrow. Such a film must be watched by all Indians so that they can remember what happened," several media reports quoted him as saying.
Lauding director Vivek Agnihotri for breaking the rules of Bollywood, film director Ram Gopal Varma wrote on Twitter, "Apart from the EXPLOSIVE material he so DARINGLY exposed , Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri TRAMPLED BOLLYWOOD by CREATING his own VIVEKWOOD which will inspire a new BREED of revolutionary film makers and that’s the ULTIMATE victory more than #KashmirFiles humongous commercial success [sic]."
Abhishek Kapoor, director of movies like Kai Po Che and Kedarnath, praised the film and said that people could finally understand the pain of Kashmiri pandits. Calling the film's director a "lion of a film maker," he said that Agnihotri had given them a voice.
He tweeted, "What an incredible film. After 30 years ppl hve finally understood the pain of Kashmiri pandits. U r a lion of a film maker to have given them a voice. Anupam Kher gives us a masterclass. He is limitless Pallavi Joshi is in full control of her [sic]."
Meanwhile, actor Suniel Shetty tweeted, "Content is not just king. It’s the kingdom. Brilliant narrative & performances in The Kashmir Files. Proof that good films work. If one can feel pain through the big screen it’s full marks to the makers [sic]. "
Raise Your Voice for the Right To Justice: Suresh Raina
Cricketer Suresh Raina, who was born into a Kashmiri Pandit family himself, tweeted, "It’s your film now. If the film touches your heart, I’d request you to raise your voice for the #RightToJustice and heal the victims of Kashmir Genocide [sic]."
The former CSK star's family had was displaced from their village in Srinagar due to the Kashmir genocide and exodus in the 1990s, after which they settled in Ghaziabad.
Bangladeshi-Swedish writer Tasleema Nasrin, who is popular for her writings on the oppression of women and criticism of religion, claimed that if there was no exaggeration or half-truth to the story, then it was a sad one.
"Watched The Kashmiri Files today. If the story was 100% true, no exaggeration, no half truth--- then it is really a sad story & Kashmiri Pandit must get back their right to live in Kashmir. I don't understand why no film was made on the exodus of Bengali Hindus from Bangladesh [sic]," she wrote.
In another post, Dr Meena Kandasamy, an Indian poet and activist, said that there was little doubt about the ruling party milking the film for whatever it was worth.
"It will also help them by drowning out legitimate questions about why BJP govts in Delhi & central rule in Kashmir failed to help Pandits get some justice [sic]," she added.
Mehbooba Mufti, former Chief Minister of J&K and PDP leader, said that if the BJP and PM Modi had helped the Kashmiri Pandits just as they are doing in promoting The Kashmir Files, then "their situation would have been different today," as per ANI.
In Jammu and Kashmir, everyone faced atrocities. The way BJP and PM are promoting the film (The Kashmir Files), in the same way, if they would have done something for the Kashmiri Pandits in last eight yrs, then their situation would have been different today.Mehbooba Mufti, PDP leader
Calls for Extermination of Muslims After Screening: Rana Ayyub
Rana Ayyub, an Indian journalist and opinion columnist with The Washington Post, retweeted a video by journalist Alishan Jafri that stated that Muslims had now been robbed of a comfortable public place like a theatre. Ayyub blamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for this.
"Calls for extermination of Muslims after the screening of Kashmir Files. This one, as always on you, Prime Minister Modi. Nothing has changed for you from 2002 to 2022 [sic]," she said.
Another journalist, Kaushik Raj, tweeted a video of abuses and extremist slurs raised in a Bijnor theatre.
"Scary that there is no police action on these murderous slogans against Muslims," he wrote.
'RSS Is Subtly Promoted Through Movie Characters'
"If u don't see the propaganda, ur soul is blind, deaf and dumb! [sic]," actress Gauhar Khan wrote on Twitter. Though Khan did not specify that her reaction was against 'The Kashmir Files', several social media users said she was referring to the film and criticised her for expressing views against it.
In a Twitter thread, journalist Sagrika Kissu said that she had cried while watching the movie. She said, "I bow down to Anupam Kher for this excellent acting and for translating the pain of KPs into acting almost correctly."
However, in another tweet, she added, that RSS is subtly promoted through the movie characters. "Gandhi is compared with Bitta Karate and Yasin Malik (the one who brutally killed KPs) and Gandhi’s non violence movement is compared with Kashmiris Azadi movement. Blatant propaganda," she wrote on Twitter.
'The Kashmir Files', which was released in the theatres on 11 March, stars Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty, and Darshan Kumar in the lead roles.
The movie that is currently doing well at the box office has also triggered anti-Muslim hate speech and violent sloganeering at several theatres.
Meanwhile, the Centre had on Friday announced that it will provide 'Y' category security cover to the movie's director Vivek Agnihotri all over India.
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