Nadav Lapid issues apology to Kashmiri Pandits
Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid has issued an apology for his comment at the closing ceremony of IFFI 2022, where he called The Kashmir Files, "vulgar," "propaganda," and inappropriate for the competition category of the festival. This sparked debate and divided the house, even leading to diplomats apologizing to the makers of the film for Lapid's comment. Twitter erupted with opinions regarding the whole fiasco.
Why does this story matter?
The Kashmir Files, directed by Vivek Agnihotri, premiered earlier this year and grabbed the eyeballs of citizens. The film started off slow at the box office but picked up with word of mouth. The house was divided—one criticized the film while the other praised it. Recently, Lapid's comments sparked debate among intellectuals and Bollywood celebrities, straining relations between India and Israel.
Lapid's apology and stance on the fiasco
Talking to CNN-News18, Lapid said his intention was not to insult the sufferers. "I totally totally totally apologize if that's the way they interpreted," he said. In an earlier interview with Haaretz, he said that he stands by his remarks, adding that he knows how to recognize "propaganda disguised as a movie." He said the film was in official competition due to political pressure.
Members of jury contradict each other
Lapid said that his comments were the collective opinion of the jury, as he spoke on behalf of the entire jury. However, filmmaker Sudipto Sen, another jury member, said that Lapid's comments were his personal opinion and not that of the entire jury. He mentioned that the four jury members attending the press conference did not mention their likes or dislikes.
From where it all started
At the closing ceremony of IFFI 2022, jury head, Lapid, called The Kashmir Files "propaganda, vulgar movie, inappropriate for an artistic competitive section of such a prestigious film festival." The film is based on the Kashmiri Pandits' exodus in 1990 from the Kashmir Valley. The film received polarized opinions ever since its release. With word of mouth, the film emerged as a blockbuster.
