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==Plot==
==Plot==
The movie depicts the situation surrounding the [[exodus of Kashmiri Pandits]] in 1990.
{{Expand section|date=March 2022}}

The movie revolves around the journey of a young student Krishna, who goes from being influenced by Prof. Radhika Menon to finally learning about, what the film claims to be, the genocide of Kashmiri Hindus.<ref>https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/review/2022/mar/12/movie-review-kashmir-files-a-limp-attempt-at-provocation-2429076.html</ref>
The plot is centered on the journey to Kashmir of a young student of [[Jawaharlal Nehru University|JNU]] named Krishna Pandit ([[Darshan Kumar]]), who was led to believe that his parents were killed in an accident, as told by his grandfather Pushkar Nath ([[Anupam Kher]]).<ref name=Rohmetra/> He was also under the influence of a JNU professor Radhika Menon ([[Pallavi Joshi]]) who believes in the "Kashmir cause".<ref name=Rohmetra/><ref name="Shilajit Mitra"/> After the death of his grandfather, he takes the ashes of his body to Kashmir when he learns about the true circumstances of his parents' death, which is fashioned after the killing of B. K. Ganjoo by Kashmiri insurgents.{{efn|B. K. Ganjoo was an engineer killed in 1990 by three unidentifed militants, while he was hiding in drum in the attic in his house.<ref name=Pandita>[[Rahul Pandita]], [https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/there-are-no-goodbyes/article5594303.eceThere are no goodbyes], The Hindu, 20 October 2014.</ref>}}<ref name=Rohmetra>{{citation |last=Rohmetra |first=Amogh|title=The Kashmir Files tries showing 1990 exodus ‘truth’ but Vivek Agnihotri gives it death blow |newspaper=The Print |date=13 March 2022 |url=https://theprint.in/features/reel-take/the-kashmir-files-tries-showing-1990-exodus-truth-but-vivek-agnihotri-gives-it-death-blow/871254/}}</ref>

The film portrays the events surrounding the exodus as a "[[genocide]]", in which thousands of Kashmiri Hindus were massacred, women raped and children shot. The displaced families are shown living as refugees till today.<ref name="Shubhra Gupta">{{Cite news |last=Gupta |first=Shubhra |date=12 March 2022 |title=The Kashmir Files movie review: Anupam Kher is the emotional core of this overwrought film |website=[[The Indian Express]] |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/the-kashmir-files-anupam-kher-emotional-core-vivek-ranjan-agnihotri-7816266/ |url-status=live |access-date=12 March 2022}}</ref>

=== Political and historical messaging ===
The film's producer Vivek Agnihotri promoted the film as depicting the "truth of Kashmir".<ref name=Rohmetra/> Its key message is that what is known as the [[exodus of Kashmiri Pandits]] is actually a "genocide". The film "corrects us repeatedly", states Shijalit Mitra.<ref name="Shilajit Mitra"/>

The film is seen depicting the Jawaharlal Nehru University as an anti-national, terror-friendly institution.<ref name=Rohmetra/> The [[Article 370 of the Constitution of India|Article 370]] of the Constitution that granted a nominally autonomous status to Jammu and Kashmir, is named as one of the reasons for the displacement of the Kashmiri Pandits.<ref name=Rohmetra/> Blame is also attached to the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister [[Farooq Abdullah]] and the former prime minister [[Rajiv Gandhi]], and the Kashmiri-origin central home minister [[Mufti Mohammad Sayeed]] (while the serving prime minister [[V. P. Singh]] and the [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] tha supported his government are absolved of responsibility).<ref name=Rohmetra/><ref name="Anuj Kumar">
{{citation |first=Anuj |last=Kumar |title=‘The Kashmir Files’ movie review: A disturbing take which grips and gripes in turns |newspaper=The Hindu |date=14 March 2022 |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/the-kashmir-files-movie-review-a-disturbing-take-which-grips-and-gripes-in-turns/article65223787.ece}}
</ref>
The central character Krishna Pandit is shown as turning against the present day prime minister [[Narendra Modi]] due to the influence of terorists.<ref name=Rohmetra/> The former prime minister [[Atal Behari Vajpayee]] is also subtly derided for attempting to win the hearts of Kashmiris.<ref name="Anuj Kumar"/>

The film focuses exclusively on the killings of Kashmiri Hindus in 1990 and afterwards, whereas Kashmiri Muslims were also killed during the insurgency (in greater numbers in fact).{{efn|According to the Jammu and Kashmir Police, 89 Hindus were killed by militants between 1990 and 2021, while 1,724 people of other faiths (mainly Muslims) were killed during the same period.<ref>{{citation |title=In 3 decades, militants killed 1,724 in J&K, 89 of them are Kashmiri Pandits: RTI reply |newspaper=The Indian Express |date=15 December 2021 |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/in-3-decades-militants-killed-1724-in-jk-89-of-them-are-kashmiri-pandits-rti-reply-7673497/}}</ref>}} The exclusive focus on violence of Muslims on Hindus is seen to be promoting [[Islamophobia]].<ref name=Rohmetra/><ref name="Hindu Islamophobia"/>

A Kashmiri terrorist is depicted in the movie, fashioned after [[Farooq Ahmed Dar]] ("Bitta Karate"). But he is also shown as being involved in the [[2003 Nadimarg massacre]], which was not Dar's doing. Krishna's mother, fashioned after Mrs. Ganjoo, is shown to have been killed in this massacre, which was not the case in real life.<ref name=Rohmetra/><ref name=Pandita/> Neither are the facts of Bitta Karate's conviction and long years of incarceration mentioned.<ref name="Anuj Kumar"/>


== Cast ==
== Cast ==

Revision as of 19:40, 14 March 2022

The Kashmir Files
The Kashmir Files
Theatrical release poster
Directed byVivek Agnihotri
Written byVivek Agnihotri
Saurabh M. Pandey
Starring
CinematographyUdaysingh Mohite
Edited byShankh Rajadhyaksha
Music byScore:
Rohit Sharma
Songs:
Swapnil Bandodkar
Production
companies
Zee Studios
Abhishek Agarwal Arts
Distributed byZee Studios
Release date
  • 11 March 2022 (2022-03-11)
Running time
170 minutes[1]
CountryIndia
LanguageHindi
Box officeest. ₹27.15 crore[2]

The Kashmir Files is a 2022 Indian Hindi-language drama film[1] written and directed by Vivek Agnihotri. Produced by Zee Studios,[4] the film is based on the exodus of Kashmiri Hindus during the Kashmir Insurgency.[5] It stars Anupam Kher, Darshan Kumar, Mithun Chakraborty and Pallavi Joshi.[6] The film has received mixed reviews,[10] the positive ones praised the cast's performance, particularly that of Kher,[14] while the negative ones described the film to be propagandistic and criticised it for lacking any nuance.[18]

It was set to release theatrically worldwide on 26 January 2022, coinciding with India's Republic Day,[19] but was postponed due to the Omicron variant spread,[20] and finally theatrically released on 11 March 2022.[21] The film was declared tax-free in multiple states and became a box office success.[22][23]

Plot

The movie depicts the situation surrounding the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits in 1990.

The plot is centered on the journey to Kashmir of a young student of JNU named Krishna Pandit (Darshan Kumar), who was led to believe that his parents were killed in an accident, as told by his grandfather Pushkar Nath (Anupam Kher).[24] He was also under the influence of a JNU professor Radhika Menon (Pallavi Joshi) who believes in the "Kashmir cause".[24][16] After the death of his grandfather, he takes the ashes of his body to Kashmir when he learns about the true circumstances of his parents' death, which is fashioned after the killing of B. K. Ganjoo by Kashmiri insurgents.[a][24]

The film portrays the events surrounding the exodus as a "genocide", in which thousands of Kashmiri Hindus were massacred, women raped and children shot. The displaced families are shown living as refugees till today.[15]

Political and historical messaging

The film's producer Vivek Agnihotri promoted the film as depicting the "truth of Kashmir".[24] Its key message is that what is known as the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits is actually a "genocide". The film "corrects us repeatedly", states Shijalit Mitra.[16]

The film is seen depicting the Jawaharlal Nehru University as an anti-national, terror-friendly institution.[24] The Article 370 of the Constitution that granted a nominally autonomous status to Jammu and Kashmir, is named as one of the reasons for the displacement of the Kashmiri Pandits.[24] Blame is also attached to the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah and the former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, and the Kashmiri-origin central home minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed (while the serving prime minister V. P. Singh and the Bharatiya Janata Party tha supported his government are absolved of responsibility).[24][26] The central character Krishna Pandit is shown as turning against the present day prime minister Narendra Modi due to the influence of terorists.[24] The former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee is also subtly derided for attempting to win the hearts of Kashmiris.[26]

The film focuses exclusively on the killings of Kashmiri Hindus in 1990 and afterwards, whereas Kashmiri Muslims were also killed during the insurgency (in greater numbers in fact).[b] The exclusive focus on violence of Muslims on Hindus is seen to be promoting Islamophobia.[24][28]

A Kashmiri terrorist is depicted in the movie, fashioned after Farooq Ahmed Dar ("Bitta Karate"). But he is also shown as being involved in the 2003 Nadimarg massacre, which was not Dar's doing. Krishna's mother, fashioned after Mrs. Ganjoo, is shown to have been killed in this massacre, which was not the case in real life.[24][25] Neither are the facts of Bitta Karate's conviction and long years of incarceration mentioned.[26]

Cast

Production

On 14 August 2019, Agnihotri announced the film with its first look poster saying, "the film will be an honest investigation into one of the biggest human tragedies". Director Vivek Agnihotri completed the script, stationed at an undisclosed location in the Himalayas. The subject of the film was the exodus of Kashmiri pandits that took place between the late 80s and early 90s.[29][30] As a part of production, Vivek Agnihotri claimed to have interviewed more than 700 emigrants from the exodus and recorded their stories over a period of two years [31] Actor Anupam Kher joined the cast as the lead actor of the film in May 2020. The first schedule of the film was called off due the coronavirus outbreak.[32] Yograj Singh was removed for his speeches at the 2020–2021 Indian farmers' protest,[33] and Puneet Issar was brought in as replacement.[34] A line producer, Sarahna died during the production by committing suicide.[35]

Critical reception

Kher's performance in The Kashmir Files was generally praised by the film critics.[12][36][13]

Stutee Ghosh of The Quint rated the film 3.5 out of 5 and found the film to have made a compelling case for Kashmiri pandits and their "hitherto unaddressed wounds" but wished for more nuance; the cinematography esp. color palette, Anupam Kher's acting, and realist depictions were praised in particular.[11] Monika Rawal Kukreja of Hindustan Times praised Agnihotri's non-mellowed take on the events and showered praises on cast performances.[37] Likewise, Jagadish Angadi of Deccan Herald was effusive in his praise — Agnihotri's use of non-linear narratives and strong dialogues, enviable background research, and strong individual performances produced an "intense watch".[38] Avinash Lohana of Pinkvilla scored the film at 3 out of 5 stars, praising the cast performances—particularly that of Kher's—and behind-the-scenes research but criticized the lack of balance.[39]

In contrast, Shubhra Gupta, reviewing for The Indian Express gave the film a 1.5 out of 5 stars; uninterested in nuance, the film was held to be a work of propaganda aligned with the ruling party's discourse that only aimed to stoke the "deep-seated anger" of pandits but it did tap into the grief of a displaced community and Kher's performance was commendable.[15] Rahul Desai, reviewing for Film Companion, found the work to be a "fantasy-revisionist" rant lacking in clarity, craft, and sense where every Muslim was a Nazi and every Hindu, a Jew; with an unconvincing screenplay and weak characters, it was propaganda that strove only to tune in with the Hindu Nationalist mood of the nation rather than offer genuine empathy to the displaced victims.[17] Rohit Bhatnagar of The Free Press Journal found the screenplay as well as individual performances to be sloppy, thus failing to "translate the grief on the big canvas" and make any mark; however, he admired the effort that went behind the film and rated 2.5 out of 5 stars.[40] Shilajit Mitra of The New Indian Express panned the film with a rating of 1 out of 5 stars and castigated Agnihotri for exploiting the suffering of Kashmiri pandits by doing away with all nuance in service of a "communal agenda".[16]

Release and box office

The film has been declared tax-free in Haryana,[41] Madhya Pradesh,[42] Gujarat,[43] Karnataka,[44] Tripura,[45] and Uttar Pradesh.[46] The Kashmir Files was released in over 630 screens in India on 11 March 2022.[7] The film earned ₹3.55 crore at the domestic box office on its opening day. On its second day, the film showed a growth of 139.44% and earned ₹8.50 crore, taking its total domestic box office collection to ₹12.05 crore.[47] After the response from the first two days, the screens were increased to 2000 on 13 March 2022.[48] The film earned ₹15.10 crore at the domestic box office on its third day, taking its opening weekend collection to ₹27.15 crore.[47]

The Kashmir Files emerged as a box-office hit within its first two days of release.[49]

Litigation

A public interest litigation (PIL) was filed by an Uttar Pradesh resident[50] which sought a stay on the film's release on grounds that the film may portray the Muslims as killers of the Kashmiri pandits, presenting what it described as a one sided view that would hurt the sentiments of Muslims and could trigger violence against Muslims.[51] The PIL was dismissed by a Bombay High Court on technical grounds.[51] Another lawsuit was filed by the widow of an Indian Armed Forces squadron leader who died during the Kashmir Insurgency. The widow's lawsuit said that the film portrayed a false depiction of events vis-a-vis the husband and sought a stay on its release. Accordingly, the court restrained the makers from showing relevant scenes.[52]

References

  1. ^ a b "The Kashmir Files". British Board of Film Classification. 9 March 2022. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  2. ^ "The Kashmir Files Box Office". 14 March 2022.
  3. ^ "The Kashmir Files line producer dies by suicide; heartbroken Anupam Kher writes that the news 'shook' him". Times Now. 9 July 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  4. ^ "Vivek Agnihotri's The Kashmir Files to CLASH with Prabhas-starrer Radhe Shyam on March 11 : Bollywood News". Bollywood Hungama. 8 February 2022. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  5. ^ "Vivek Agnihotri's The Kashmir Files to go on floors next month". Cinema Express. 1 January 2020. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
  6. ^ Negi, Shrishti (9 March 2022). "The Kashmir Files Producer Pallavi Joshi: Am I Making the Film for Hindu Rashtra? I'm Just Telling a Story". News18. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  7. ^ a b "The Kashmir Files box office collection Day 1: Vivek Agnihotri film mints Rs 3.55 crore". The Indian Express. 13 March 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  8. ^ "The Kashmir Files: Controversies and accolades surrounding the film". Dina Thanthi. 14 March 2022. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  9. ^ "Netizens on Twitter reveal that the screening of The Kashmir Files has been stopped in cinema halls". Box Office Worldwide. 12 March 2022. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  10. ^ [7][8][9]
  11. ^ a b "Review: 'The Kashmir Files' Makes a Compelling Case For Kashmiri Pandits". The Quint. 10 March 2022. Retrieved 11 March 2022.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ^ a b "The Kashmir Files movie review: Anupam Kher is the soul of this gut-wrenching film that's brazen and brutal". Hindustan Times. 10 March 2022. Retrieved 11 March 2022.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. ^ a b "The Kashmir Files Review: Anupam Kher shines in the film that creates an impact but lacks balance". Pinkvilla. 11 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. ^ [11][12][13]
  15. ^ a b c Gupta, Shubhra (12 March 2022). "The Kashmir Files movie review: Anupam Kher is the emotional core of this overwrought film". The Indian Express. Retrieved 12 March 2022.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  16. ^ a b c d Mitra, Shilajit (12 March 2022). "Movie Review| Kashmir Files, A limp attempt at provocation". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  17. ^ a b Desai, Rahul (11 March 2022). "The Kashmir Files Is A Defensive And Dishonest Dive Into The Past". Film Companion. {{cite web}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Missing or empty |url= (help)
  18. ^ [15][16][17]
  19. ^ "Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty's 'The Kashmir Files' to release on Republic Day 2022". The New Indian Express. 19 November 2021. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  20. ^ "Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri's 'The Kashmir Files' release postponed amid rising COVID-19 cases". Bollywood Hungama. 10 January 2022. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  21. ^ "Vivek Agnihotri's The Kashmir Files to CLASH with Prabhas-starrer Radhe Shyam on March 11". Bollywood Hungama. 8 February 2022. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  22. ^ The Kashmir Files Is Another Gadar - On Its Way To Create HISTORY, Box Office India, 14 March 2022, retrieved 14 March 2022
  23. ^ "The Kashmir Records Fantastic Weekend - Set For Extraordinary Run". Box Office India. 14 March 2022. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  24. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Rohmetra, Amogh (13 March 2022), "The Kashmir Files tries showing 1990 exodus 'truth' but Vivek Agnihotri gives it death blow", The Print
  25. ^ a b Rahul Pandita, are no goodbyes, The Hindu, 20 October 2014.
  26. ^ a b c Kumar, Anuj (14 March 2022), "'The Kashmir Files' movie review: A disturbing take which grips and gripes in turns", The Hindu
  27. ^ "In 3 decades, militants killed 1,724 in J&K, 89 of them are Kashmiri Pandits: RTI reply", The Indian Express, 15 December 2021
  28. ^ Cite error: The named reference Hindu Islamophobia was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  29. ^ "Vivek Agnihotri's The Kashmir Files to go on floors next month". Cinema Express. 1 January 2020. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
  30. ^ "The Kashmir Files: Vivek Agnihotri announces new film through poster, announces its release on 15 August, 2020". Firstpost. 14 August 2019. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
  31. ^ "Vivek Agnihotri on The Kashmir Files: 'I wanted to make a film about people who did not pick up guns'-Entertainment News , Firstpost". Firstpost. 7 March 2022. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  32. ^ "COVID 19 effect: Shooting of 'The Kashmir Files' called off". The Times of India. 17 May 2020. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
  33. ^ "Yograj Singh out of Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri's The Kashmir Files". The Tribune (Chandigarh). 12 December 2020. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
  34. ^ "Puneet Issar Replaces Yograj Singh In 'The Kashmir Files' Post Singh's Derogatory Remark". Mid-Day. 15 December 2020. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
  35. ^ "The Kashmir Files line producer dies by suicide; heartbroken Anupam Kher writes that the news 'shook' him". Times Now. 9 July 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  36. ^ "'The Kashmir Files' movie review: Anupam Kher is brilliant in this heart-wrenching story". Deccan Herald. 12 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  37. ^ "The Kashmir Files movie review: Anupam Kher is the soul of this gut-wrenching film that's brazen and brutal". Hindustan Times. 10 March 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  38. ^ "'The Kashmir Files' movie review: Anupam Kher is brilliant in this heart-wrenching story". Deccan Herald. 12 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  39. ^ "The Kashmir Files Review: Anupam Kher shines in the film that creates an impact but lacks balance". Pinkvilla. 11 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  40. ^ Bhatnagar, Rohit (11 March 2022). "The Kashmir Files review: A preachy tale of facts that lacks attention". Free Press Journal. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  41. ^ "'The Kashmir Files' film declared tax-free in Haryana". Asian News International. 11 March 2022. Retrieved 11 March 2022.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  42. ^ "'The Kashmir Files' becomes tax-free in Madhya Pradesh". Times of India. 13 March 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2022.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  43. ^ "Anupam Kher starrer 'The Kashmir Files' gets tax-free in Gujarat". Times of India. 13 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  44. ^ "'The Kashmir Files' to be tax-free in Karnataka". Deccan Herald. 13 March 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2022.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  45. ^ "Tripura govt makes 'The Kashmir Files' tax-free". Deccan Herald. 14 March 2022. Retrieved 14 March 2022.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  46. ^ "Anupam Kher's 'The Kashmir Files' made tax-free in Uttar Pradesh, announces CM Yogi Adityanath". India TV. 14 March 2022. Retrieved 14 March 2022.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  47. ^ a b "The Kashmir Files Box Office". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  48. ^ "The Kashmir Files Box Office: Film's shows increased from 600 to 2000 after stupendous response". Bollywood Hungama. 13 March 2022. Retrieved 14 March 2022.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  49. ^ "The Kashmir Files Emerges A HIT". Box Office India. 12 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  50. ^ Keshri, Shweta (11 March 2022). "Vivek Agnihotri's The Kashmir Files releases today all over India". India Today.
  51. ^ a b Vidya (8 March 2022). "Plea against The Kashmir Files dismissed by Bombay High Court". India Today. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  52. ^ Dipali, Patel (10 March 2022). "Court stays release of Vivek Agnihotri's The Kashmir Files". India Today. Retrieved 10 March 2022.


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