After three co-jurors at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) have endorsed Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid's remarks on The Kashmir Files, Sudipto Sen as the sole Indian on the jury board on Sunday stated that it is "unethical to talk about a particular film," news agency ANI reported.
"Artistically, the film (The Kashmir Files) didn't pass our criteria. As a jury, we should've talked about films that were awarded...The platform was misused during the (IFFI) festival," Sudipto Sen was quoted by ANI on its official Twitter handle.
An Israeli filmmaker, Nadav Lapid, sparked outrage in India when he called a film on the Kashmiri Pandit exodus "propaganda" and a "vulgar film" at a government-sponsored film festival in Goa.
The incorporation of 'The Kashmir Files' in the event "disturbed and startled" Nadav Lapid, chair of the jury at the week-long International Film Festival of India (IFFI), which closed on Monday.
Anupam Kher, Darshan Kumar, Mithun Chakraborty, and Pallavi Joshi are among the actors who appear in The Kashmir Files. Lapid has been singled out by Kher and Agnihotri for his comments. The seasoned performer referred to the Israeli writer-director as "a person who is himself vulgar and opportunist."
Earlier on Saturday, Sen informed PTI that the decision to award only five films—not The Kashmir Files—was made unanimously. "The jury board's task is over after that."
“Now following that, if somebody goes in public and picks up one particular film and says something which is not expected, then that is his personal feeling. It has nothing to do with the jury board,” he explained.
(With Inputs From Agencies)