New Delhi: Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister, MK Stalin, raised concerns on Thursday about the film “The Kashmir Files,” labeled as a Hindutva propaganda piece, receiving an award for promoting national unity. Stalin emphasized that the prestige of national film awards should remain untarnished by manipulative political tactics.
In a post on social media, Stalin expressed his astonishment at the film directed by Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri being honored with an award.
Stalin, who leads the ruling DMK party in the state, pointed out the surprising aspect of the Nargis Dutt award for best film on national integration being bestowed upon a film that had been deemed controversial and boycotted by impartial film critics, although he didn’t directly mention “The Kashmir Files.”
He highlighted that the enduring value of literature and film awards lies in their impartiality, devoid of political prejudice.
He underlined, “The significance of national awards must not be compromised for the sake of political expediency.”
Stalin also took the opportunity to extend his congratulations to other winners, particularly those who contributed to the realm of Tamil cinema. He praised the accomplishments of singer Shreya Ghoshal, musician Srikanth Deva, and the teams behind ‘Kadaisi Vivasayi” and “Sirpigalin Sirpangal,” recognizing their achievements in their respective categories.
Former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah, sarcastically commented on the film’s victory, quoting the news with the words “National integration” and appending a laughing emoticon.
‘The Kashmir Files’, directed by Vivek Agnihotri, garnered praise from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Hindu nationalist supporters, but simultaneously drew criticism from film reviewers, opposition figures, and Muslim groups for its perceived bias against Muslims.
Nadav Lapid, the head of the Jury at the International Film Festival of India and an Israeli filmmaker, expressed his panel’s unease and astonishment at ‘The Kashmir Files’. Lapid labeled the film as propagandistic and vulgar, unsuitable for an artistic competitive category within such a respected film festival. He remarked, “It felt like a propaganda piece, lacking artistic merit for a prestigious film festival.”
