Singapore Bans The Kashmir Files, Says "Potential To Cause Enmity..."

The Kashmir Files, a controversial film on the exodus of Hindus from the Kashmir Valley in the 1990s, has been banned by Singapore, which has cited concerns over its "potential to cause enmity between different communities".

The film has been assessed to be "beyond" Singapore's film classification guidelines, news agency PTI has reported.

"The film will be refused classification for its provocative and one-sided portrayal of Muslims and the depictions of Hindus being persecuted in the ongoing conflict in Kashmir," the Singapore government said in a statement on Monday.

"These representations have the potential to cause enmity between different communities, and disrupt social cohesion and religious harmony in our multi-racial and multi-religious society," the statement added.

The city-state said under its film classification guidelines, "any material that is denigrating to racial or religious communities in Singapore" will be refused classification.

Released on March 11, the Kashmir Files, directed by Vivek Agnihotri, has been praised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several BJP leaders and has also been rated a Box Office hit, but critics say it plays to anti-Muslim sentiment and is loose with facts.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor shared the Singapore government statement, given to Channel News Asia, and wrote: "Film promoted by India's ruling party, Kashmir Files, banned in Singapore."

Film promoted by India's ruling party, #KashmirFiles, banned in Singapore: https://t.co/S6TBjglele pic.twitter.com/RuaoTReuAH

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) May 10, 2022

Also written by Vivek Agnihotri, the film stars Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty and Pallavi Joshi in lead roles.

At a recent press conference, Mr Agnihotri alleged an "international political campaign" against him and his film by foreign media outlets. He claimed this was the reason his press conference was cancelled by the Foreign Correspondents Club and the Press Club of India.