Anupam Kher slams Israeli filmmaker for comments on The Kashmir Files – Beyond Bollywood

The veteran actor suspects IFFI Jury head Nadav Lapid to be part of the ‘toolkit’ gang that allegedly works to defame India.

By Mayur Lookhar

It was few months ago that Anupam Kher had raised question on the credibility on any awards do which doesn’t recognise and honour The Kashmir Files [2022]. Few months later, leave aside awards do, but the film has drawn sharp criticism at the prestigious International Film Festival of India, held in Goa. Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid, who is the jury head, had stunned everyone by calling The Kashmir Files vulgar, inaccurate, propaganda at the closing ceremony of the film festival on 28 November. All this in the presence of Indian I & B Minister Anurag Thakur and other dignitaries.

Veteran Indian actor Anupam Kher, who played one of the leads in the Vivek Agnihotri directorial, has slammed the Israeli filmmaker for his insensitive comments.

Kher was spotted outside Mumbai’s famous Siddhivinayak temple early this morning [29 November] where scribes sought his reaction to Lapid’s stunning comments.

Kher wished that god give Lapid some wisdom. “If Holocaust is sahi, then the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits is sahi too,” Kher told ANI. We presume that the actor has used the Hindi word sahi in the context of being true.

The veteran suspected Lapid to be party of the infamous ‘toolkit’ gang that is out to defame India.

“This seems all pre planned. Soon after the comments, the toolkit gang became very active. It is shameful for him to make a statement like this. He comes from that community [Jews] who has suffered Holocaust, So, for him to make a statement like this, he has also pained those people who suffered it many years ago, He shouldn’t used such [IFFI] platform to propagate his agenda.” added Kher.

Directed by Vivek Agnihotri, The Kashmir Files was based on the 1990 exodus of the Kashmiri Hindu Pandits, and the genocide committed by Islamist terrorists, backed by Pakistan. The film went on to make over Rs250 crore nett at the domestic box office. However, it was mired in controversies for allegedly being politically backed by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. There were murmurs of bulk buying of tickets by influential forces.