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Nadav Lapid, an Israeli director, stated that Vivek Agnihotri’s The Kashmir Files was promoted at the festival owing to political pressure. He stated that several Indian celebrities have approached him since they were unable to speak out against the film.
In a recent interview, Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid, who criticised The Kashmir Files at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), stated that he stands by his stance during the event. Nadav was on the international jury at the IFFI. He claimed to know “how to recognise propaganda masquerading as a movie.”
At IFFI, Nadav Lapid labelled The Kashmir Files a “propaganda film” that belonged nowhere near an international film festival. On the last day, his comment garnered outrage from those in the film industry, politics, and the Indian public on social media. The Kashmir Files, directed by Vivek Agnihotri, depicts the 1990 flight of
In response to the outcry, Nadav told the Israeli daily Ha’aretz, “Making poor films is not a crime, but this is an extremely vulgar, deceptive, and violent propaganda picture.” He believes it is his responsibility as a member of the international jury to speak out.
“The reality is that I couldn’t help but envisage a comparable circumstance that may occur one day soon in Israel, and I would be delighted if the leader of a foreign jury would be prepared to tell things as he sees them in such a case.” In some ways, I felt it was my obligation to the place that had invited me,” he remarked.
Nadav went on to say that The Kashmir Files was “pushed into the formal competition” of the IFFI. “We learnt that the picture was forced into the festival’s main competition owing to political pressure… I believe that as a foreigner who arrives there, you have a duty to speak things that the locals may find difficult to utter. I don’t believe in secrets or whispers in such situations. What will you say if you are asked to come on stage and speak? Only the beaches you visited and the cuisine you ate?” he said.