“Naxalites, Dacoits, Terrorists Were Glorified In Bollywood Films” Says Director Vivek Agnihotri

Vivek Agnihotri Spoke Khul Ke About Bollywood and His Mission

Khul Ke, a social media platform hosted a RoundTable, Kashmir Konversations with director Vivek Agnihotri along with veteran Journalist Manoj Raghuvanshi, who was the first journalist in the world to do a lead story in July 1989 that terrorism will erupt in Kashmir. Manoj is also known for his interview with Bitta Karrate, the notorious militant who was charged for killing Kashmiri pandits.

Khul Ke is the only platform that allows video, audio and text-based conversations amongst moderator and panelists as well as audience. The platform lays its foundation in the ‘power of conversations’ and urges artists, influencers, entrepreneurs, brands, consumers, your friends, or like-minded individuals to engage in uninhibited meaningful conversations.

 At the Khul Ke RoundTable, Vivek Agnihotri shared his thoughts on how Bollywood films have glorified rebels, terrorists and romanticised the situation in Kashmir and his mission is to continue bringing out the truth of Kashmir and the atrocities on Hindus and showcase it to the world.  Vivek Agnihotri’s The Kashmir Files is on the genocide of Kashmiri Hindus that created an outrage among the people.

Speaking about Bollywood and the glorification of rebels and terrorists in most films Vivek shared, "I am not Bollywood and hence will speak about it without any fear. If you notice, in earlier days when film making in India began, Hindus stayed away from this industry. People investing and the people working in it were all muslims. So, the entire skeletal structure of the industry is actually based on Islamic ideologies and thoughts. Then after the partition, Punjabis started to work in the industry and somehow there was an unspoken understanding that we all are one and we should not portray anybody in the negative light, even if one was wrong. That’s how if you look at portrayals of characters in films through decades, a Tamilian or Punjabi is always shown as a joker. A Bihari is an uneducated laughing stock in the film. However, a muslim character is always shown with dignity and respect, irrespective of societal status in the film.”

He further stuck his neck out and asserted, “Then later the muslim mafia started to play a major role in Bollywood. They instilled fear by attacking eminent people in the industry and extorting money. This fear led to people pleasing the mafia by casting female actors of their choice, paying up money, being present at their family functions in Dubai. Then eminent Bollywood personalities started marrying into each other’s families, further leading to familial ties. This over years then cemented the thought amongst the industry that never point fingers at each other.  Then began the glorification of dacoits, terrorists, Naxalites in films. The film-makers thought they might get a badge of being intellectual if they started showing these men as messiahs or saviours or weaving in some love story. This also brought in muslim appeasement and a rule to consider Muslims as minority. This led to masses believing that anybody who is in majority is the oppressor and the minority is always the victim. But talking of oppressor and oppressed, in today’s Bollywood all the oppressors are Muslims.   People who are misusing power are these Muslim 4-5 actors and producers.”

Vivek shared that all this while Bollywood has only glorified terrorists through films like Haider, Mission Kashmir, Fiza and it is only his film The Kashmir Files which has brought out the atrocities on Hindu Kashmiri Pandits. He also went on to add that it’s sad that even Gulzar saab in his film Maachis, glorified terrorists.

On a concluding note, Vivek Agnihotri added "My main aim is to shed light on what atrocities were faced by the Hindus in Kashmir and also bring out the truth of genocides of Hindus in Kashmir. Black Community, Jews and Afghan Muslims are supporting me and helping me to get the truth out about hardships people have gone through."

Source: Khul Ke