Ever since Vivek Agnihotri , maker of the film The Kashmir Files, made the Tashkent Files and asked the question about former Prime Minister Late Lal Bahadur Shastri’s death (read killing), it was inevitable his future projects would be subjected to attempted strangulation.
From the time he announced that he was looking into the problems of Kashmiri pundits (The Kashmir Files project), he was on the radar of India’s celebrated licentious mercenary intellectuals in its ecosystem. That ecosystem has developed over decades – designed to serve only a section of the Indian society. The irony of fate for the majority of Indian is the fact that while pretending to be serving them (the majority), the high and mighty of India’s polity, media and intelligentsia tacitly continued to support and bless that ecosystem.
It is not surprising that soon as its release on 11 March was announced, The Kashmir Files – was denied due opportunities of promotion. Even a basic street corner comedy show like Kapil Sharma’s, refused to promote citing absence of big stars in the movie. Kapil has hobnobbed earlier with both legendary actors Anupam Kher and Mithun Chakraborty who are in the film.
On top of that a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) was filed in the Bombay High Court to stop the release of the film saying it will hurt the feelings of Muslims.
The PIL was filed by Intezar Hussain Sayed of Uttar Pradesh seeking a stay saying the trailer of film (which has been released) seemed to depict that the movie was about Muslims killing the Kashmiri Pandits thereby hurting the sentiments of the Muslim community.
The movie “will not only hurt the religious sentiments of Muslim community but also ignite emotions and inflame members of the Hindu community with clear possibility of triggering violence in all parts of India,” the plea said.
A Division Bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice MS Karnik dismissed the plea.
Reviews of the film have been very warm, raw and moving.
“After watching The Kashmir Files, it shakes my soul today that history books, academics alike have skipped pressing on the excruciating and extensive details of the plight of Kashmiri Pandits in the hands of Islamic fundamentalists.
“Mind you, this film tells you nothing new. But tells you and reminds you and forces you to think why we can’t look at history in the eye without any shame. Makes you angry again as to why a Yasin Malik and Syed Ali Shah Geelani were allowed to get tacit support from politicians and intellectuals like Arundhati Roy and many more. Why those intellectuals who constantly bat for the ‘azadi’ of Kashmir and call it ‘fundamentally a call for justice’ don’t see the other side of the rightful occupants of the land being forced into mass departure when that is their land and that is their country their home.
“3 odd hours of encapsulation of that trauma is spine chilling.” (Excerpt from a review in India Today)
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While there are filmmakers like Vivek Agnihotri to unearth the truth, there are others who are now taking pains to lift the veil of oneness while all resources are being served up to serve only a section of the Indian society.
And that is a very bitter pill to swallow for many including some celebrated media personalities whose only name to fame and gain has been to pen-prostitute themselves for the entirety of their career in journalism. If it were not for their stooping so low, they would have ended up like a ‘paper boy’ or ‘paper girl’ in some dingy public office bringing cups of tea for their ‘babu’ bosses day in, day out.
Tragically, they sermonize 24/7 and gullible Indians – watch them, seen them and revere them not knowing their very existence is under threat.
The Kashmir Files, like the Tashkent Files – asks questions and adds to a multitude of woken up Indians who want to claim their rightful India back for themselves and for India.
Please go and watch the film – if you love and care for India, no matter what your faith and belief.