‘The Kashmir Files’ exposed terror: Director Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri

KANPUR: Director of the much-acclaimed film ‘The Kashmir Files’, Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri, experienced a bit of nostalgia as he visited his maternal house in Arya Nagar area of Kanpur city, on Monday. “Nothing can be better for me than this. Whenever I come to UP, I definitely like to come to Kanpur because after all it is my ancestor’s place,” said Vivek while talking to media persons.
He had come to Kanpur with wife Pallavi Joshi to meet his cousin Sharad Tiwari, a resident of Arya Nagar, and seek his blessings.Talking about his film and the response it gathered, Agnihotri further said, “I have exposed the business of terrorism and that was the reason political parties are opposing my film ‘The Kashmir files’.”
Vivek and Pallavi reached in the afternoon and stayed for around two hours at the residence of his cousin. As soon as the neighbours came to know about their visit, they jostled to get a glimpse of the duo. Many even posed for selfies with the director. Later, the couple left the city for Lucknow.
Vivek further said terrorism was a business now and when business would be exposed, the persons who were involved in it would fret and fume. “And right now the same is happening,” he said.
Vivek said that he had also cleared the charges levelled against Indian soldiers and proved that they were baseless. “They had played their role honestly and in a disciplined way,” he added.
When asked that some politicians like All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi and Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo Akhilesh Yadav are asking to make films on the infamous Gujarat’s Godhara riots and Lakhimpur case (UP), the director said: “Woh Raja hai aur main runk hoon (they are kings and I am a beggar). Now tell me, who has stopped them from making a film on their favourite subjects.”
Replying to another question that it was being said that BJP was promoting the film, Agnihotri commented that “it was a lame excuse and it’s all a propaganda to evade the real subject”.
The film had been screened since November 2021 and its first screening had taken place at New York. “Everybody is praising it ....BJP was not there. Are white people not praising the film”” he questioned. “Films were made on Kashmiri Pandits, but none had interacted with them,” he said and added, “The film is based on the personal experiences of Kashmiri Pandits. Goddess Saraswati had blessed me and she had given me the instinct to make the film.”