The Kashmir Files row: Vivek Agnihotri on Nadav Lapid’s apology: I don’t care

Days after causing an uproar for calling The Kashmir Files vulgar and a propaganda film, Israeli director and International Film Festival of India (IFFI) jury head Nadav Lapid has apologised for his remarks. But the film’s director Vivek Agnihotri is in no mood to give it any importance.

“I don’t even care what he says. Mere liye baat khatam ho gai hai. Seriously, I don’t care about what he says or doesn’t say,” Agnihotri tells us.

In an interview with CNN News-18, Lapid apologised for inadvertently offending the sentiments of any community. “I didn’t want to insult anyone, and my aim was never to insult people or their relatives, who have suffered. I totally apologise if that’s the way they interpreted,” he said, adding that he understands Agnihotri’s anger on the same.

Opening up about his apology, Agnihotri shares, “I have come to shoot in Pune, and I am getting so much love for the film. People are thanking me for making the film, so why do I need an endorsement from a foreigner? What does he know about my country”.

In fact, he just has one thing to say on the same. “My only answer is Farhan Akhtar’s quote -- If it doesn’t come from the heart, it is not an apology,” adds the filmmaker, who is in Pune to shoot his next project.

Earlier, in a video, Agnihotri had said, “Mere liye aashcharyajanak baat ye hai ki Bharat sarkar dwara aayojit Bharat sarkar ke manch pe Kashmir ko Bharat se alag karne wale terrorists ke narrative ko support kiya gaya... Main challenge karta hoon ki The Kashmir Files ke ek shot, ek dialogue ya event ko koi prove kar de, ki yeh poori tarah se satya nahin hai, toh main filmein banana chhod dunga (sic)”.

Lapid triggered a major controversy when he described The Kashmir Files as “propaganda” and a “vulgar” film that was “inappropriate for an artistic, competitive section of such a prestigious film festival”. “All of us were disturbed and shocked by the 15th film, The Kashmir Files. That felt like a propaganda, vulgar movie, inappropriate for an artistic competitive section of such a prestigious film festival,” he said.

The film was featured in the Panorama section of IFFI. The team of The Kashmir Files, including actors Anupam Kher and Pallavi Joshi had criticised Nadav.