Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid, who headed the jury at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), slammed the controversial film Kashmir Files – an official entry at the event – calling it a “propaganda, vulgar movie, inappropriate for an artistic competitive section of such a prestigious film festival”.Sharing the experience of the jury, Lapid said that 14 out of them (international films) had a cinematic quality.
"All of us were disturbed and shocked by the 15th film `The Kashmir Files`. That felt to us like a propaganda, vulgar movie, inappropriate for an artistic competitive section of such a prestigious film festival," Lapid added."I feel totally comfortable openly sharing these feelings here with you on this stage. Since, the spirit of the festival can surely also accept a critical discussion, which is essential for art and life," he said.
It is a film based on true incidents. Film Director Vivek Agnihotri interviewed around 500 people from all around the world for the movie. On the night of January 19, 1990, five lakh Kashmiri Pandits had to leave their homes and memories in the Kashmir Valley. The Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty and Pallavi Joshi starrer, directed by Vivek Agnihotri, was featured in the "Panorama" section of the festival last week. The film has been praised by the BJP and has been declared tax-free in most BJP-ruled states and was a box office hit. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah have praised on the movie.