Vivek Agnihotri reacts to people calling The Kashmir Files ‘propaganda’ film, says it doesn’t endorse Narendra Modi, BJP

Starring Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi, and Darshan Kumaar among others, The Kashmir Files has been one of the biggest blockbusters in Indian cinema this year as the Vivek Agnihotri directorial collected around Rs 340 crore at the worldwide box office. Though the hard-hitting political drama received mixed reviews from the audience and the critics with many of them calling it a ‘propaganda’ film.

Now, film’s director Vivek Agnihotri has reacted to these claims and said that his film didn’t endorse the nation’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling party BJP. He even called out films such as Haider, Fanaa, and Mission Kashmir claiming that these three films justified terrorism, but nobody called them propaganda films.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, Vivek said, “Only a very few people are calling it a propaganda movie. My film neither endorses Narendra Modi, BJP, right-wing, nor did the government fund my film. Did anybody call films like ‘Haider’, ‘Mission Kashmir’, ‘Fanaa’ etc which justified terrorism as propaganda films?”

He further continued, “Propaganda films do not make 350 crore business, and they have historically never worked. My film was based on the interviews of the victims, and anyone who calls it propaganda does not have empathy for the victims. People who support Naxals and terrorists, and professional critics who call everything coming out of right-wing as propaganda are calling it propaganda.”

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When Agnihotri was asked about several BJP-led states making the film tax-free, the director stated that the people from the government and the political party jumped on the success wagon when they realised that the film had become successful after four days of its theatrical release. Vivek even mentioned that Narendra Modi didn’t praise his film and instead, asked the detractors to watch the film before criticising it.