On Monday the closing ceremony of the 53rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI) was held which was graced by union minsters and film celebrities in Goa. The jury head Nadav Lapid while delivering his remarks in the ceremony condemned the idea of permitting The Kashmir Files into the competition category.
“I’d 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. 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,” Lapid mentioned in his speech.
Nadav Lapid made this stark remark in the presence of Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur. Conceptualized and helmed by Vivek Agnihotri, The Kashmir Files revolves around the mass exodus of Kashmiri Hindu during the 1990s and the targeted manslaughter of the Kashmiri pandits.
The Kashmir Files was slammed by many critics as a “propaganda film” by several critics. Featuring Anupam Kher in the pivotal role, the movie emerged as the highest-grossing Hindi films of 2022.
