The Kashmir File’ Controversy: Complaint against Nadav Lapid for abusing Hindu community
A video from the festival went viral on social media in which Nadav Lapid, an Israeli screenwriter and film director was seen making controversial remarks about the film. IFFI Jury Head Nadav Lapid called Vivek Agnihotri’s directorial “The Kashmir File” a “propaganda, vulgar” film.
A complaint has been filed against Nadav Lapid by Vineet Jindal, a social activist and practicing lawyer in Supreme court of India. He said, “I am a social activist and practicing lawyer in Supreme court of India. I am filing this complaint against Nadav Lapid (Israeli Director) Jury chairman of the International Competition section of the International Film Festival of India on Monday at Panji, Goa”.
The statement given by Nadav is totally manipulated and with ill intention towards the Hindu Community in grub of targeting movie Kashmir files which is clearer when one of the jury members AT IFFI Sudipto Sen through his Twitter account said that “it completely in a personal capacity- nothing to do with the esteemed jury board”. He said, “Usually, I don’t read from paper. This time, I want to be precise. I want to thank the director and head of the programming of the festival for its cinematic richness, the diversity and complexity…There were 15 films in the international competition — the front window of the festival. Fourteen out of them had the cinematic qualities…and evoked vivid discussions. We were, all of us, disturbed and shocked by the 15th film, The Kashmir Files. That felt to us like a propaganda, vulgar movie, inappropriate for an artistic competitive section of such a prestigious film festival.”
The statement of Sudipito Sen shows that no such statement has been approved or discussed upon Kashmir Files between jury members at IFFI but Nadav must have some hidden agenda in his mind against Hindu Community which came out during his closing speech in IFFI.
The film “Kashmir Files” is based on the “exodus and killings” of Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley in the 1990s by Islamic terrorists. By calling a movie based on a true story on Hindu Genocide by Islamic terrorists that happen in Kashmir as Propaganda and vulgar, he is abusing the sacrifice of Hindus in Kashmir and targeting the Hindu community by using derogatory words “Vulgar” and “Propaganda” upon Hindu killings just to incite hatred in our country.
Nair Gillon, an ambassador of Israel to India and non-resident ambassador to Sri Lanka and Bhutan and former ambassador of Israel to the Netherlands, Italy and San Marino in an open letter on Twiter said, “An open letter to #NadavLapid following his criticism of #KashmirFiles. It’s not in Hebrew because I wanted our Indian brothers and sisters to be able to understand. It is also relatively long so I’ll give you the bottom line first. YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED. Here’s why,” this morning.
The Israeli envoy said his country men should be humble as Indians are consuming a lot of Israeli content, including the ‘Fauda’ TV series. “I’m no film expert but I do know that it’s insensitive and presumptuous to speak about historic events before deeply studying them and which are an open wound in India because many of the involved are still around and still paying a price,” he said in a long thread of tweets. India-Israel ties are very strong and will survive the “damages” inflicted by his remarks, Gilon said in his tweets addressed to Lapid.
“As a human being I feel ashamed and want to apologize to our hosts for the bad manner in which we repaid them for their generosity and friendship,” said the envoy.
BJP leader Khushbu Sundar thanked Gilon and said his words acted like a “balm of comfort”. “The pain and trauma depicted in the film is not a display of distorted history but what Kasmiri pundits actually went through,” she said.
The contents of the statement made by Jindal clearly show his intent of instigating enmity between groups. Vineet Jindal added, “Being a Social Activist and Hindu by religion my religious sentiments are deeply hurt by the statement made by Nadav Lapid”. Nadav Lapid by making above cited statement has been committed offence u/s 121,153,153 A &B, 295,298 and 505 of I.P.C which are cognizable offences and very serious in nature. The links of the video and Reports are also attached by complainant. The complainant requested to lodge an FIR against him under the above said sections and take strict legal action against him so he can not dare to make such kind of hateful and disturbing comments again in the future.
