Vivek Agnihotri's directorial The Kashmir Files, based on the exodus of Hindus from the Kashmir Valley in 1990 has been banned in Singapore. As per reports, the authorities have assessed the Hindi-language film to be "beyond" Singapore's film classification guidelines, said the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) in a joint statement with the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
"The film will be refused classification for its provocative and one-sided portrayal of Muslims and the depictions of Hindus being persecuted in the on-going conflict in Kashmir. These representations have the potential to cause enmity between different communities and disrupt social cohesion and religious harmony in our multiracial and multi-religious society. Under the film classification guidelines, "any material that is denigrating to racial or religious communities in Singapore" will be refused classification, the authorities told Channel News Asia as per the news agency. The film, written and directed by Agnihotri, stars Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty, Darshan Kumaar, Chinmay Mandlekar, Puneet Issar, and Pallavi Joshi in lead roles. Released on March 11, The Kashmir Files turned out to be a blockbuster as it became the first film post-pandemic to collect Rs 250 crores at the Indian box office.