The Kashmir Files producer Abhishek Agarwal to Nadav Lapid: ‘We do not need your validation’

The Kashmir Files producer Abhishek Agarwal has shared a message for IFFI jury head Nadav Lapid who said the film was a ‘propaganda’ and ‘vulgar’.

Abhishek Agarwal, one of the producers of The Kashmir Files, has shared a message for IFFI jury head and Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid on Twitter after the latter called the film ‘propaganda, vulgar'. The Kashmir Files was based on the killings and exodus of Kashmiri Pandits in 1990s. It was directed by Vivek Agnihotri and had Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty, Darshaan Kumar and Pallavi Joshi among the starcast.

Anupam Kher's still from The Kashmir Files.

Abhishek tweeted on Sunday, “We do not need your validation #NadavLapid we have thousands of people who have gone through this holocaust and I have met many personally seen their pain & suffering. #TheKashmirFiles #KashmirFilesISTruth. @AnupamPKher @vivekagnihotri.”

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the International Film Festival of India, Nadav had said, “I would like to thank the head of the festival and the director of the programming for the cinematic richness of the programme, for its diversity, for its complexity. It was intense. We saw seven films in the debutant competition, and 15 films in the international competition, the front window of the festival. 14 out of them had cinematic qualities, defaults and evoked vivid discussions.”

Singling out The Kashmir Files, he further said, “All of us were disturbed and shocked by the 15th film, The Kashmir Files. That felt like a propaganda, vulgar movie, inappropriate for an artistic competitive section of such a prestigious film festival. I feel totally comfortable to openly share these feelings here with you on this stage. In the spirit of this festival, can surely also accept a critical discussion, which is essential for art and life.”

The festival has not commented on Nadav's remark for the film. However, his co-jury member Sudipto Sen distanced himself from the controversy and said that it was his “personal opinion”. He said in a statement on Twitter, “Whatever has been said by IFFI 2022 Jury Chairman Mr. Nadav Lapid about the film Kashmir Files, from the stage of closing ceremony of 53rd IFFI was completely his personal opinion."

"As juror, we are assigned to judge the technical, aesthetic quality and socio-cultural relevance of a film. We don't indulge in any kind of political comments on any film and if it is done, it is completely in personal capacity - nothing to do with the esteemed Jury Board,” he further said in his statement.