Vivek Agnihotri says his words about The Kashmir Files becoming Oscars 'contender' were 'twisted'

Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri broke silence on Twitter days after many questioned his film The Kashmir Files' Oscars ‘contender’ status. In long series of tweets, Vivek said that his statements are being twisted to disrepute The Kashmir Files team. He shared a bunch of screenshots and wrote, “The nasty ecosystem at work again." Also read: As Vivek Agnihotri celebrates The Kashmir Files' Oscars 'contender' status, Nikhil Chinapa asks what that even means

He continued, “They are twisting our statements to bring defame & disrepute to the team of #TheKashmirFiles by misreporting & lying to public. News sites and others are warned against being involved or circulating such fake news with malicious intent.”

He went on and said that his family members are being harassed. He added, “I want to bring to the knowledge of public & concerned authorities that some of these people/groups are harassing & threatening young female member of my family. Some of them, associated with Pakistani terror groups, are also known for instigating life threats to Nupur Sharma.”

“Why are they doing it? Though it’s very obvious, we leave it for your conscience to decide. In the meantime, we are taking necessary action,” he signed out.

On Tuesday, Vivek shared a poster of his directorial with the title 'Official Contender From India'. He captioned it, "Thanks for your love, support and blessings. This is the year of Indian Cinema. #Oscars2023."This led to many people such as former VJ Nikhil Chinapa and filmmaker Hansal Mehta questioning Vivek for celebrating the eligibility list.

Earlier this week, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) announced the full list of 301 films which were eligible for the Oscars this year. A few Indian films have made the list, including Vivek's The Kashmir Files. Other films from India, in the eligible list, are RRR, Kantara, Gangubai Kathiawadi, Me Vasantrao, Tuzhya Sathi Kahi Hi, Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, Iravin Nizhal and Vikrant Rona.

There are four Indian films officially shortlisted and in the running in their categories for Oscars. This includes RRR, Last Film Show (Chhello Show), All That Breathes and The Elephant Whisperers. The final nominations for the Oscars will be announced on January 24.