From states granting government employees half-day leave to watch the film, declaring it tax-free, to political leaders flocking theatres in full might, the political frenzy surrounding “Kashmir Files” is beyond belief.  Arunachal’s who’s who descending on a local theatre in the state capital Itanagar to watch Kashmir Files is unprecedented in many ways. Never has a sitting CM, nor his inner circle, can be remembered to have gone movie watching in collective memory. While there is absolutely nothing wrong in the top brass enjoying the movies, however the blatant push by the ruling party is no way to handle a subject as sensitive as the Kashmiri Pandits exodus, and this is why it is frightening as it obviously fulfills an agenda.
The Kashmir Files is a 2022 Indian Hindi-language drama film written and directed by Vivek Agnihotri. Produced by Zee Studios, the film is based on the exodus of Kashmiri Hindus during the Kashmir Insurgency. It stars Anupam Kher, Darshan Kumar, Mithun Chakraborty and Pallavi Joshi. The movie depicts the situation surrounding the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits in 1990.
It is said that between February and March 1990, approximately 100,000 of the Valley’s total 140,000 Kashmiri Pandit inhabitants migrated, following the threats by the terrorists that if they wanted to stay, then they must either convert to Islam or flee the valley or be prepared to be killed.
Making a movie on sensitive topics is a director’s artistic freedom and right but the arts must never be used to stoke hatred towards a particular community. The suffering of the Kashmiri Pandits is one of unspeakable brutality and trauma which must be condemned by all. But it is absolutely unacceptable to use the creative medium to stoke pain/anger in order to rekindle hatred through it. The weaponization of hatred will spell doom for a country as diverse as India which is already quite on edge.

---

Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

<< Back to News List