'The Kashmir Files' revolves around the killingof Kashmiri Pandits in 1990.
The Central government today provided 'Y' category security cover to 'The Kashmir Files' director Vivek Agnihotri with CRPF cover pan India, government sources told news agency ANI. The feature film, which has received unprecedented government backing, is based on the exodus of Kashmiri Hindus from the Kashmir valley during the height of militancy.
Riding on overwhelming government support and tax breaks from several states across the country, the controversial movie has become a runaway box office success and is racing to Rs 100 crore in collections. It has also come under bitter criticism as it's unprecedented for the government to put its weight behind a commercial movie. Moreover, the sensitive political nature of the film and charges of inaccuracy/deliberate misrepresentation of facts has led to accusations of the government indulging in propaganda.
However, the film has led to violent sloganeering at several movie theatres with critics saying instead of healing wounds, the film has inadvertently led to more hatred between the two communities. Social media is flooded with videos from both inside and outside movie theatres where people can be seen using abusive slang for Muslims, with a few using strongly provocative language and raising angry slogans.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also used the movie as an opportunity to slam his political opponents and critics, alleging that those who oppose it are the ones who tried to hide the truth about the violence inflicted on Hindus in what was India's only Muslim majority state.
"The entire Jamaat (gang) that raised the flag of freedom of expression has been furious for 5-6 days. Instead of reviewing the film on the basis of facts and art, there's a conspiracy to discredit it," he had said.
The movie, which had released in theatres on March 11, stars Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi, Darshan Kumaar, and others.
Vivek Agnihotri is known for films like 'Tashkent Files', 'Hate Story' and 'Buddha in a Traffic Jam'.
The film has been declared tax-free in most BJP ruled states including Uttar Pradesh, Tripura, Goa, Haryana, Gujarat, and Uttarakhand.