Prime Minister Narendra Modi too has caught on the flavour of the season, The Kashmir Files movie, and said such movies “reveal the truth” and that there has been a “conspiracy” to discredit it.
Speaking at the BJP parliamentary party meeting in Delhi, Modi said that such forces are furious because the recently-released movie is foregrounding the truth that was deliberately kept hidden.
“The entire Jamaat (gang) that raised the flag of freedom of expression has been furious for 5-6 days. Instead of reviewing the film on the basis of facts and art, there’s a conspiracy to discredit it,” he said.
The movie, directed and written by Vivek Agnihotri, depicts the exodus of Kashmiri Hindus from the state after systematic killings of people from the community by Pakistan-back terrorists.
PM Modi added that his concern is that the truth should be brought out in a proper manner. “My concern is not just the film. I believe that it is beneficial for the nation to bring out the truth in the right way. It can have many aspects. Some see one thing, others see something else,” he said.
He then attacked the movie’s critics, alleging that the negative reactions to the films are coming from those who deliberately tried to hide “the truth” for many years. “Those who think that this film is not right should make their own film. Who’s stopping them? But they are surprised that the truth that they kept hidden for so many years is not coming out. Those who live for the truth have a responsibility to stand with the truth at such a time,” PM Modi said.
The film stars Anupam Kher, Darshan Kumar, Mithun Chakraborty, and Pallavi Joshi among others.
Several BJP ruled states have exempted the film from entertainment tax, with some Chief Ministers even explicitly backing the recently released Bollywood movie.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said that he and his entire cabinet would watch the film.
In neighbouring Tripura, Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb announced that the state government would make screening of the film tax-free.
