New Delhi: The stir over International Film Festival of India jury head and Israeli Director Nadav Lapid’s remarks on Vivek Agnihotri’s ‘The Kashmir Files’ doesn’t seem to die down anytime soon. In the latest development, a Delhi-based advocate Vineet Jindal has lodged a complaint against Nadav Lapid for making remarks like "a propaganda" and "vulgar" for the film.
Practicing lawyer in the Supreme court of India and social activist Jindal said that Lapid's statement is totally manipulated and with ill intentions toward the Hindu community.
"By calling a movie based on a true story of Hindu genocide by Islamic terrorists that happened in Kashmir as propaganda and vulgar, he is abusing the sacrifice of Hindus in Kashmir and targeting the Hindu community and to incite hatred in our country," Jindal said according to IANS.
Jindal further in his complaint stated that the offence by Lapid have been committed under Sections 121 (attempting to wage war), 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 153 A & B (promoting disharmony, enmity or feelings of hatred between different groups on the grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc.), 295 (defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class), 298 (intention of wounding the religious feelings of any person) and 505 (intent to cause fear or alarm to the public, or to any section of the public) of the Indian Penal Code. These are cognizable offences and very serious in nature.
Meanwhile, the film’s producer and Vivek Agnihotri’s wife Pallavi Joshi has issued a statement over the remark. The statement read, “For decades the international community remained silent on the sufferings of the Kashmiri Pandit Community. After 3 decades, the Indian film industry finally realised that it needs to tell India's story truthfully and objectively.
Vivek and I were always aware that there are elements that would not like to see the stark truth on the screen, but it is very unfortunate that a creative platform was used for a political agenda to preserve an old, false and jaded narrative about Kashmir.
We are overwhelmed by the way the people of India rose to defend The Kashmir Files against the rude and vulgar statements of a genocide denier.
I would like to assure our audience and supporters that ’The Kashmir Files’ remains a people’s film.
I also want to thank the Israeli Ambassador H.E Noor Gilon and the Consul General Shri Kobbi Shoshoni for their support. I Am Buddha stands for India and we will continue the path of truth and resilience to keep making meaningful cinema with original Indian content.
Pallavi Joshi
Producer I Am Buddha”
Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid had called Vivek Agnihotri's film a ‘propaganda’ and a vulgar movie in Goa last evening.
"We were, all of us, disturbed and shocked by the 15th film: The Kashmir Files. That felt to us like propaganda, vulgar movie, inappropriate for an artistic competitive section of such a prestigious film festival. I feel totally comfortable to share openly these feelings here with you on stage. Since the spirit of having a festival is to accept also a critical discussion which is essential for art and for life," he had said during the closing ceremony of the film festival.
(With IANS inputs)