Jury chairman’s criticism on ‘Kashmir Files’ shameful, let God give him wisdom, says Anupam Kher

Jury chairman Nadav Lapid criticizing the inclusion of Vivek Agnihotri's 'Kashmir Files' at the 53rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI) has sparked a controversy. He said the inclusion of such a vulgar film in an international film festival is shocking.

‘The 15th film of the fest, 'The Kashmir Files', left us all disturbed and shocked. We wondered how a vulgar film made it to the artistic competition category at such a prestigious film festival. Out of the 15 films selected, the remaining 14 films were of good standard, criticized Lapid at the closing ceremony of the film festival.

Actor Anupam Kher has now come forward responding to it. He responded that the criticism at the film festival was pre-planned. He also accused Lapid of being insensitive to the plight of Kashmiri Pandits.

'The criticism seems premeditated. Soon after his remarks, the Toolkit team sprang into action. Making offensive remarks about a film based on the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits is shameful for a person from a (Jewish) community that experienced the horrors of the holocaust. May God grant him knowledge, if the holocaust is true, then the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits is also true,' - said the actor. Anupam Kher played the central role in the film based on the mass exodus of Kashmiri Pandits.