"The Kashmir Files", a Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri film based on the genocide of Kashmiri Hindus by Islamists in Kashmir in early 1990’s depicts the events that led to the exodus of more that 5 lakh Hindus from Kashmir valley and also unravels the facts and faces of some politicians who ignored the wailing and plights of suffering minority community and rather protected the perpetrators, is in news again after an Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid, during the concluding ceremony of International Film Festival of India (IFFI) stroked a controversy by terming the movie `The Kashmir Files’ as vulgar and inappropriate.

 

 

Lapid who was serving as the head of the jury, in his closing remarks said that , “There were 15 films in the international competition — the front window of the festival. Fourteen out of them had the cinematic qualities… and evoked vivid discussions. We were, all of us, disturbed and shocked by the 15th film, The Kashmir Files. That felt to us like a propaganda, vulgar movie, inappropriate for an artistic competitive section of such a prestigious film festival.”

 

 

 

 

Veteran actor Anupam Kher of the 'The Kashmir Files' Tuesday said it is "shameful" on the part of IFFI (International Film Festival of India) jury head Nadav Lapid to term the film "propaganda, vulgar" at the festival's closing ceremony.

 

 

Referring to Lapid's remarks, Anupam Kher also tweeted, "No matter how high the height of the lie is.. It is always small in comparison to the truth."

 

Kashmir Files director Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri on Tuesday in a cryptic post said that truth is the most dangerous thing because `it can make people lie’.

 

Veteran actor Paresh Rawal also reacted to comments made by Nadav Lapid and commented that “People can say whatever they want. We made this film with a good intention and we were true to that. We shouldn’t be upset with whatever people say. We should not be upset but keep in mind the kind of people who come and say all this. It is a learning lesson.”

 

Shameless statement on The Kashmir Files by someone who comes across as illiterate. Will this Israeli film director Nadav Lapid call Holocaust a propaganda?,

 

Will he call Schindler’s List and The Pianist as propaganda films? ,tweeted by Aditya Raj Kaul, executive director at TV 9 network.

 

 

Anand Ranganathan, an author and columnist wrote, "Mosques screamed Run, Convert or Die on Jan 19, 1990. BK Ganjoo’s blood was fed to his wife on March 17, 1990. Girija Tickoo was sawed alive on June 25, 1990".

 

 

Who is Nadav Lapid:

 

Lapid is a 47 year old Jewish filmmaker who is very well known for his surreal relationship with his motherland Israel, a critic of Israel’s militarism and curtailment of freedoms.

 

He has consequently drawn flak from people within the Israeli state.

 

Earlier this year, Lapid joined a group of 250 Israeli filmmakers who signed an open letter to protest against the launch of the Shomron (Samaria/West Bank) Film Fund. The filmmakers felt the only goal of the Fund was to use filmmakers to “actively participate in whitewashing the Occupation.”

 

The Shomron Film Fund’s official mandate is to “distribute grants to Jewish settlers who reside in the West Bank (“Judea and Samaria”) and to productions by Israeli citizens filmed in the West Bank.”

 

While talking about his film ‘Synonymes’ in one of his interviews, Lapid had said that “the Israeli collective soul is a sick soul”.

 

“Something in the deepest essence of the Israeli existence is false – is rotten. It’s not just Benjamin Netanyahu – it’s not special to Israel. But, at the same time, I think this Israeli sickness or nature is characterized by young Israeli men muscular, smiling, who don’t raise any questions and don’t have any doubts. They are extremely proud of being Israeli. They have a totally dichotomist vision of existence: Us versus all the others," he said in an interview published in Toronto-based NOW magazine.

 

 

However the Israeli Ambassador to India, Naor Gilon, penned an open letter to IFFI and Lapid, criticising the Israeli filmmaker for speaking on the Kashmir issue. In an open letter to the Israeli filmmaker, Gilon wrote: “You [Lapid] have abused in the worst way the Indian invitation to chair the panel of judges at IFFI Goa as well as the trust, respect and warm hospitality they have bestowed on you.”

 

“You [Lapid] will go back to Israel thinking that you are bold and ‘made a statement’. We, the representatives of Israel, would stay here. You should see our DM [direct message] boxes following your ‘bravery’ and what implications it may have on the team under my responsibility.”

 

The Israeli ambassador also said that the friendship between India and Israel is very strong and will survive the “damage” Lapid has inflicted. “As a human being I feel ashamed and want to apologize to our hosts for the bad manner in which we repaid them for their generosity and friendship,” he wrote.