The Kashmir Files
The Kashmir Files justifies India's Kashmir policy, has fascist features: Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid backing his IFFI remark
Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid has said The Kashmir Files justifies New Delhi's policy in the disputed union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, defending his previous remark on the Hindi film that has stoked massive row at the closing ceremony of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI).
Lapid has said the film consists of "fascists features", in an attack on the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Centre.
In an interview with Israeli news website Ynet, Lapid, who was the jury head at the 53rd IFFI, said, "It's crazy, what's going on here. It's a government festival and it's the biggest in India.
"It's a film that the Indian government, even if it didn't actually make it, at least pushed it in an unusual way. It basically justifies the Indian policy in Kashmir, and it has fascist features."
What did Lapid say at the IFFI closing ceremony?
Lapid on Monday said at the IFFI that "all of them" were "disturbed and shocked" that the film was screened at the festival.
"All of us were disturbed and shocked by the content of the film Kashmir Files. It felt to us like a propaganda, vulgar movie inappropriate for the artistic competitive section of such a prestigious film festival.
"I feel totally comfortable to openly share these feelings here with you on stage. Since the spirit of having a festival is to accept also a critical discussion which is essential for art and for life," Lapid said in his address.
Directed by Vivek Agnihotri, the film is based on the true event of the exodus of Kashmir Pandits from the erstwhile northern state in 1990.
Apart from Kher, the film starring Mithun Chakraborty and Pallavi Joshi was featured in the "Panorama" section of the festival.
The film was praised by the country's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose government took the bold step of abrogating Article 370 from the Kashmir valley in 2019.
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