Fadnavis refers to Lapid’s remarks on The Kashmir Files as his “personal opinion”
Devendra Fadnavis, the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, dismissed Nadav Lapid’s ‘propaganda’ comments on Vivek Agnihotri’s ‘The Kashmir Files’
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TNI Bureau: Devendra Fadnavis, the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, dismissed Nadav Lapid’s ‘propaganda’ comments on Vivek Agnihotri’s ‘The Kashmir Files,’ saying that the film was based on ‘facts and research’ and that Lapid’s comments were merely his ‘personal opinion’. The movie is about the 1990 exodus of Kashmiri Pandits.
The top BJP leader, who previously praised the film and declared that it left him “speechless,” stated, “The film is based on facts and research relevant to the subject. The board censored it appropriately. It might be his personal perspective; I haven’t read the statement.
The jury chair and Israeli screenwriter and director Nadav Lapid criticized Agnihotri’s film on Sunday at the 53rd International Film Festival of India, calling it “vulgar propaganda” and “unacceptable for an aesthetic competitive section of such a famous film festival.”
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At the broadcast event, he had stated, “I feel fully safe to communicate these sentiments with you on stage because the feeling we felt at this festival can actually embrace a critical dialogue, which is vital for art and for life.
The head of the IT Cell for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, Amit Malviya, condemned Lapid’s comments and compared them to Holocaust denial.
“Like some are calling The Kashmir Files, people even long ago denied the Holocaust and dubbed ‘Schindler’s List’ propaganda. No matter what, truth ultimately wins,” he remarked.
Former Israeli ambassador Daniel Carmon described Lapid’s comments as “unfortunate,” while other critics of Lapid include Israeli ambassador Naor Gilon and Bollywood actor Anupam Kher. Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi defended him at the same time. For his inflammatory comments, the Israeli filmmaker has been reported to the police.
