Daily Times

If there’s one film that has been a consistent top trend these days, it is The Kashmir Files. The recently released Bollywood movie, raking in millions at the box office against a small budget and screening tax-free in several states, has already been dubbed the biggest cinematic newsmaker of 2022.

The Kashmir Files was released in theatres on March 11 across India, but it was making news even before it hit the screen. Vivek Agnihotri, the writer and director of The Kashmir Files, accused Kapil Sharma of refusing to promote his film on his hugely popular The Kapil Sharma Show, which is a go-to platform for A-list celebrities – including Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and Akshay Kumar – to promote their upcoming movies.

Vivek claimed he wasn’t invited because his film didn’t have a “big commercial star”. On the other hand, Anupam Kher, who plays a key role in The Kashmir Files, has clarified that he did get invited to the show but had opted out of it since he couldn’t discuss such a “deep and serious” film on a frivolous and comedic platform like The Kapil Sharma Show.

The Kashmir Files stars Anupam Kher, Pallavi Joshi, Mithun Chakaraborty, Amaan Iqbal, Darshan Kumar and a few others whose names may be well known to the wider audiences, especially in Pakistan. The film is based on the exodus of Kashmiri Hindus in the 1990s. On social media, it is widely being called an attempt to vilify Muslims.

In the past decade, Bollywood has seen a rise in projects that push Islamophobic narratives and portray Muslim figures in a negative light. Padmaavat, Tanhaji, and most recently, Akshay Kumar’s Sooryavanshi created quite a storm for demonising and criminalising Muslims.

Disturbing scenes are also reported to be emerging from cinemas across India after the screening, with anti-Muslim slogans and hateful comments echoing across the halls and on roads outside the theatres.

The Kashmir Files has been praised and openly endorsed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several of his key ministers. While the film is roaring at the box office, some critics have noted that it lacks nuance and is “a work of propaganda”.

The makers of The Kashmir Files have been accused by prominent Indian film critics of historical revisionism, distorting facts, stoking Hindu nationalism, serving a communal agenda and fostering Islamophobia. But Modi has labelled the critique as a “conspiracy to discredit the film”.

Earlier this week, Kangana Ranaut targeted Bollywood stars for not praising and promoting the film. Kangana, known for her jingoistic, extremist and violent statements against anyone whose ideology doesn’t align with those of hers and the Bharatiya Janata Party, remarked that The Kashmir Files has “purged Bollywood of all its sins”.

The only mainstream celebrities who supported The Kashmir Files upon release are Akshay Kumar and Yami Gautam.