'The Kashmir Files' director Vivek Agnihotri backs 'Boycott Bollywood' movement
Bollywood has been reeling under numerous nefarious boycott calls over the past few years, particularly since 2020. The movement further gained momentum this year, what with numerous big-budget films hitting theaters in quick succession. Now, filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri has chimed in on the issue and come out in support of the "Boycott Bollywood" movement, saying it will eventually have positive ramifications in the future.
Why does this story matter?
The boycott bug seems to be biting Bollywood ruthlessly. In recent times, it's hard to think of a film that wasn't under the boycott gang's radar. Laal Singh Chaddha, Brahmastra: Part One—Shiva, Shamshera, and the yet-to-be-released Thank God and Vikram Vedha have all acted as fodder for boycott campaigns. Agnihotri's The Kashmir Files, however, was phenomenally successful and was loved immensely by the audiences.
'Boycott Bollywood campaign is extremely good'
Speaking to Deccan Herald, Agnihotri recently said, "It's (Boycott Bollywood) a complex issue...calling for a boycott is fundamentally an individual thing." "I feel the...campaign is extremely good as it shows people's frustration with the kind of films that Bollywood is producing...its end result will be very positive." Agnihotri had earlier taken potshots at Anurag Kashyap, Karan Johar, Ranveer Singh, and other Bollywood celebrities.
'It's a cultural revolt, not a political one'
The campaign, which includes a series of tweets seemingly planned in advance, has often been tied to the right-wing too. However, Agnihotri rejected this theory and said, "It's more of a cultural revolt against Bollywood than a political one." He also accused Bollywood of "making fun of [the audience]" and said, "Unlike South Indian film stars, Bollywood actors are not connected with people."
'Bollywood actors consider themselves gods'
During the same conversation, Agnihotri said he doesn't consider himself a part of Bollywood. Moreover, elaborating on Hindi actors' "disconnect" from the audience, he also accused them of "considering themselves gods." He further opined, "Kashmiri Muslims, Bengalis, South Indians have problems with Bollywood because of their bad representation. The subjects of South Indian, Marathi, Bengali, Odia, and other cinema resonate with the masses (sic)."
Is 'TKF' a propoganda film? Here's what the director said
While The Kashmir Files wreaked havoc at the box office, both in India and overseas, several critics had also accused it of being a "propaganda film." Reacting to this, the Chocolate helmer said, "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?"
