Pallavi Joshi is currently seen in The Kashmir Files Unreported. The actress speaks to The Free Press Journal about why the film is important and its message.
With the plethora of content now available on OTT platforms, one wonders, what should viewers expect differently from this series. Pallavi replies, “They should expect hard facts and the truth which is going to make them uncomfortable and move them. But after all is said and done, it is a part of India’s history and hence it is important for them to see it. The series will definitely shake them up and it is not going to be an easy watch so this is a disclaimer I would like to give. If you have the courage, then you should watch it.”
The actress feels that the series will be an eye opener for youngsters. “If the younger generation learns from this film and even one of them stands up and says, ‘I am going to say no to terrorism in my lifetime’, then that would be the penultimate success for me,” she avers.
She adds, “We should never let something like this happen again. We should never divide India based on faith or religion. We have always lived together in harmony. India is a country of diversity, and each state, like Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, and the states in North East, have their unique culture, traditions, and faiths. Despite these differences, we are still one country, and we have been able to live together as one democracy for a long time. Don’t let politicians and toxic social media influencers sway you from your path. We are all Indians, and we should be proud of our country because India is doing very well.”
Critics have stated that the film targets Muslims. Pallavi disagrees, “The film doesn't target Muslims at all. The film targets terrorism and who in India in their right mind will support terrorism? If the film was against Muslims, then we wouldn’t have shown the first scene in the movie where this little Abdul is helping little Shiva, and the same Abdul remembers his friend Shiva when he grows up, and when Krishna comes back to meet him. We have also mentioned that it was not only the Kashmiri Pandits who were killed during the genocide but Buddhists, Krishnans, Muslims and whoever raised their voice against terrorism was killed. So, I don't see why there was this hue and cry about this film being anti-Muslim. It certainly wasn’t.”
She concludes, “Yes, it was a tale of the Kashmiri Pandits, their genocide, their displacement from their homeland, so that was the point of view. But it is not against Muslims, and if anyone is saying that I completely and absolutely deny it because it's a fake narrative.”
