'The Kashmir Files' Maker Reacts To Film Festival Jury Head's Remarks

A day after Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid termed his film a "propaganda", "The Kashmir Files" director Vivek Agnihotri in a cryptic social media post said truth is the most dangerous thing as it can make people lie.

Agnihotri's reaction comes after veteran actor Anupam Kher, who starred in "The Kashmir Files", on Tuesday said truth will always trump falsehood.

Lapid had termed "The Kashmir Files" as "propaganda movie" and "vulgar" at the closing ceremony of the 53rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI) on Monday night in Goa. He had served as the chairperson of the international competition jury at the IFFI.

"GM. Truth is the most dangerous thing. It can make people lie. #CreativeConsciousness," Agnihotri wrote on Twitter.

Written and directed by Agnihotri and produced by Zee Studios, "The Kashmir Files" depicts the exodus of Kashmiri Hindus from Kashmir following the killings of people from the community by Pakistan-backed terrorists.

Following its March 11 release, the film was called out for its problematic politics by a section of critics and authors, but it performed exceptionally well at the box office by minting over Rs 330 crore.

The movie had also sparked a debate among political parties after several BJP-ruled states, including Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, gave it exemption from entertainment tax.

Also starring Darshan Kumar, Mithun Chakraborty and Pallavi Joshi, the film was showcased as part of the Indian Panorama Section at the IFFI.

In his speech at the closing ceremony of the 2022 edition of the film festival, Lapid said he was "disturbed and shocked" to see "The Kashmir Files" being screened at the festival. The event had Kher and Bollywood star Akshay Kumar in attendance.

Lapid's comments on the movie, one of the most talked about films of the year, sparked a controversy on social media with reactions pouring from various quarters.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)