'Creative platform used for political agenda': Pallavi Joshi opens up on row over 'The Kashmir Files' at IFFI

Taking to her Instagram handle, the actor, who also bank-rolled 'The Tashkent Files', posted, "For decades, the international community remained silent on the sufferings of the Kashmiri Pandit Community. After 3 decades, the Indian film industry finally realised that it needs to tell India's story truthfully and objectively."

Actor-producer Pallavi Joshi, who starred and part-produced 'The Kashmir Files', on Tuesday opened up on the snowballing controversy over Israeli filmmaker and IFFI Jury Head Nadav Lapid labelling the blockbuster as 'a propaganda' and a 'vulgar' film. Taking to her Instagram handle, the actor, who also bank-rolled 'The Tashkent Files', posted, "For decades, the international community remained silent on the sufferings of the Kashmiri Pandit Community. After 3 decades, the Indian film industry finally realised that it needs to tell India's story truthfully and objectively."

"Vivek (Agnihotri, the director of 'The Kashmir Files') and I were always aware that there are elements that would not like to see the stark truth on the screen, but it is very unfortunate that a creative platform was used for a political agenda to preserve an old, false and jaded narrative about Kashmir," the 53-year-old actor wrote. Coming down hard on the Israeli filmmaker while thanking those who jumped to the film's defence on social media, the 'Trishagni' actress added, "We are overwhelmed by the way people of India rose to defend 'The Kashmir Files' against the rude and vulgar statements of a genocide denier."

Joshi went on to 'assure the audience' that 'The Kashmir Files' was. indeed, 'a people's film'. She added that her production house 'I Am Buddha' foundation "stands for India" and "will continue on the path of truth and resilience to keep making meaningful cinema with original Indian content".

Addressing the closing celemony of the 53rd Internation Film Festival of India (IFFI) on Monday, Lapid said he was 'shocked' to see the film in the competition section of such a prestigious film festival. A video clip of the closing ceremony, showing the Israeli helmer making the controversial remarks, went viral on social media.

His statement drew a fierce backlash from netizens, as well as actors Anupam Kher and Darshan Kumaar, who portrayed key roles in the film. Filmmaker Ashoke Pandit and Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) vice president Abhinav Prakash, too, lashed out at the Israeli filmmaker over his statement.

The film, which is a portrayal of the alleged genocide and exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley in the 90s, released earlier this year and went on to become a major blockbuster. (ANI)

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