Anupam Kher Criticizes IFFI Chief Jury’s Critique of The Kashmir Files, Comparing Kashmiri Pandits Exodus to the Holocaust

After the president of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Nadav Lapid, criticized Vivek Agnihotri’s The Kashmir Files, Anupam Kher, who played a key role in the film, shared his reaction. The actor compared the exodus of the Kashmiri Hindus, on which the film is based, to the Holocaust, saying, “If the Holocaust is good, the exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits is also good.” ‘toolkit gang’ became active immediately after the verdict.

Anupam Kher further continued, “It is embarrassing for him to make such a statement. Jews suffered holocaust and he comes from that community.”

For the uninitiated, at the closing ceremony of India’s 53rd International Film Festival, Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid, head of the jury, criticized The Kashmir Files, saying the film felt like a “propaganda, vulgar film.”

Lapid said: “We were all disturbed and shocked by the 15th film: The Kashmir Files. It felt to us like propaganda, vulgar film, inappropriate for an artistically competitive part of such a prestigious film festival. I feel completely comfortable to to share these feelings openly with you on stage here. Because the spirit of having a festival is to also accept a critical discussion that is essential to art and to life.”

After his statement, his fellow juror and filmmaker Sudipto Sen took to Twitter to clarify that it was Nadav’s personal opinion and that the jury board has nothing to do with it. He took to Twitter to write that as judges they do not give in to personal comments on any film and if it is done it is completely personal and has nothing to do with the jury board.

Meanwhile, The Kashmir Files is directed by Vivek Agnihotri and stars Anupam Kher, Darshan Kumar, Pallavi Joshi and Mithun Chakraborty among others.

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