The Kashmir Files director Vivek Agnihotri: Glamourising extreme violence in cinema is considered talent

Vivek Agnihotri has said children’s minds are conditioned by glamourising violence in popular literature, cinema and politics.

Vivek Agnihotri, best known for directing the 2022 film The Kashmir Files, started his day with his take on the depiction of violence in cinema. He tweeted on Thursday about how violence in cinema is considered talent. He is currently working on The Vaccine War.

Vivek Agnihotri is currently working on The Vaccine War. (Hindustan Times)

Vivek Agnihotri on violence in cinema

Vivek took to Twitter to wish his fans a good morning and wrote, “People aren’t born violent. Your children’s minds are conditioned by glamourising violence in popular literature, cinema and politics by industry leaders who should be actually inspiring young minds for peace. In such a violent world only solution is creative consciousness.”

He further reacted to a Twitter user who wrote, "We are born without talent. We learn and practice, we win and lead. Talent is never born." In his response, Vivek tweeted, “Now glamourising extreme violence in cinema is also considered talent. Promoting nonsense cinema is considered a bigger talent. Promoting a non-actor as biggest star is considered biggest talent. And assuming audience is super-dumb is mother of all talent.”

A Twitter user reacted to Vivek's tweet, “With all due respect you did same when you made Kashmir files?” Another said, “Lol, who is talking." A person also tweeted, “People aren’t born bigots. Our children’s minds are conditioned by glamourising bigotry in popular literature, cinema and politics by propogandists who create an illusory fear & threat about others for petty awards and recognition. Creative consciousness helps identify such opportunists.”

Vivek's The Kashmir Files revolved around the brutal violence faced by the Kashmiri Pandits during their exodus from the state in the 1990s. An excerpt from the Hindustan Times review of the film read: “The brazen way with which women across age groups faced physical violence, rape, abuse and merciless humiliation make for a difficult watch”.

Vivek Agnihotri's next film is about making of coronavirus vaccine in India

Vivek is currently working on his next directorial, The Vaccine War, starring Nana Patekar, Anupam Kher and Raima Sen. It is produced by Pallavi Joshi and is all set to hit the theatres around Dussehra 2023, in 11 languages.

Speaking about the film, Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri had earlier said, “When The Kashmir Files was postponed during Covid lockdown, I started researching on it. Then we started researching with the scientists of ICMR & NIV who made our own vaccine possible. Their story of struggle and sacrifice was overwhelming and while researching we understood how these scientists fought a war waged against India not just by foreign agencies but even our own people. Yet, we won against superpowers by making fastest, cheapest and safest vaccine. I thought this story must be told so that every Indian can feel proud of their country.”