Screenwriter and director Saeed Akhtar Mirza has called Vivek Agnihotri's film The Kashmir Files 'garbage'.
In an interview, he added that the 'point is not to take sides' and said that it is necessary to 'try to understand' the issues. The screenwriter also made it clear that, in his opinion, the issue faced by the Kashmiri Pandit is real.
"For me, The Kashmir Files is garbage. Is the Kashmiri Pandit issue garbage? No, it’s not. It’s real. Is it just Kashmiri Hindus? No. Muslims, too, are caught in an incredibly vulgar trap of the machinations of intelligence agencies, nations with so-called national interests, and paid guys from across the border, who continue to create havoc. The point is not to take sides. Be human and try to understand," he said in an interview with Indian Express.
The Kashmir Files, written and directed by Vivek, centres on the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits during militancy in the early 1990s. It was screened at IFFI 2022 on November 22 under the Indian Panorama section at IFFI.
The films stars Anupam Kher, Pallavi Joshi, Darshan Kumarr, Mithun Chakraborty, Puneet Issar and others.
Saeed Akhtar Mirza is known for films such as Mohan Joshi Hazir Ho, Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyoon Aata Hai, Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro and Naseem. He is the director of popular TV serials like Nukkad and Intezaar.
