Thursday 24 November 2022

The Kashmir Files started a healing process for Kashmiri Pandits by documenting their tragedy: Anupam Kher ‘My tears and difficulties in the film are real’ ‘Realistic films connect with the audience’

The Kashmir files helped people all over the world to be aware of the tragedy that happened to Kashmiri Pandits in 1990s, said Anupam Kher, lead actor in the movie. He was participating in IFFI Table Talks held in connection with the 53rd International Film Festival of India in Panaji, Goa .

“It is a film based on true incidents. Film Director Vivek Agnihotri interviewed around 500 people all around the world for the movie.  On the night of 19th January 1990, 5 lakh Kashmiri Pandits had to leave their homes and memories in the Kashmir valley following rising violence. As a Kashmiri Hindu, I lived with the tragedy. But nobody was recognising the tragedy. World was trying to hide this tragedy. The film started a healing process by documenting the tragedy”, Anupam Kher added.

 a piece of advice to upcoming filmmakers, he said that one should remove the notion from their minds that they are from a particular language film industry. “Instead, the film makers must identify themselves as film makers from the Indian film industry doing a particular language film. It is a larger than life film industry”.

Recalling his journey with IFFI, Anupam Kher said that he first attended IFFI in 1985 as a 28 year old for his film Saaransh. “Since I played a 65 year old character in that movie, nobody recognised me at IFFI that time. 37 years later with over 532 films, it’s a great moment for me to be in Goa again for IFFI which has turned into an iconic festival and one of the best in the world”, he said.

At the interaction Anupam Kher also announced that he will produce the Odiya film Pratikshya – story of father-son duo with unemployment as a dominant theme - in Hindi, with him playing one of the main roles. Director of Prathikshya Anupam Patnaik was also sharing the dais at the interaction organised by PIB with media at the festival venue. Abhishek Agarwal, Producer of Kashmir Files who joined the conversation said that it was the film which chose him and not the other way around.

Synopsis

Krishna Pandit is a young Kashmiri Pandit refugee living with his grandfather who witnessed the 1990 genocide of Kashmiri Pandits and had to flee from Kashmir. Pushkarnath Pandit fought for the revocation of Article 370 all his life. Krishna believes his parents died in an accident in Kashmir. Krishna Pandit, a  JNU student, under the influence of his mentor Professor Radhika Menon, refutes the genocide and fights for Azad Kashmir. But he discovers the truth only after his grandfather's death.


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