After facing legal and challenges, The Kashmir files which hit screens 12days ago , is a soaring success. Leading the nation Prime Minister Modi, top leaders, even opposition netas and common-men praisaed the crew for the true portrayals of genocide of Kashmir pandits in the early 1990. It is a realtime true story. Many of have had witnessed this horrific, heart wrenching killings of majority muslims in the Kashmir state. The perpetrators and the abettors of the heinous are still living denying everything.
The Kashmir Files, directed by VivekAgnihotri and co-starring AnupamKher and MithunChakraborty, encountered several setbacks before ultimately making their way to the big screen on March 11.It is a real narrative based on the life of Kashmiri Pandits in 1990, during the Kashmir insurgency, and is set in the Indian state of Kashmir.
Its amazing collections and show the kind of hold that The Kashmir Files has been having in theatres is unfathomable. The AnupamKher led film has collected 190.10 croresnow ( at the time of writing) and though one hopes that the 200 crores mark is reached today (23rd) itself.
The Kashmir Files is an all-time blockbuster. Although the film was initially released on 700 screens, rising occupancyand a positive response from audiences eager to learn more about the heart-wrenching story of the Kashmiri Pandits have forced theatres to expand their screenings to more than 1000 screens at this time, according to the reports. It is to be noted that film is being screened in theatres throughout Bharat and cannot be viewed via digital platforms at this point. More and more people are going to theatres to watch the movie after hearing and seeing comments on social media. There have been attempts by fundamentalists and anti nationals to make the film is a failure and the BJP and saffron parties are pushing it make it success. Theatre owners are being intimidated or pressurized not to show the movie or create troubles during the show. But the Jai Sri Ram shouts silence the one or two opposite sloganeering. The pointless debates, virtual scuffles, allegations, counter allegations, “it was Jagmohan”, “No it was Farooq Abdullah” as expected discussions swarmed the TV channels. Warring camps accused each other and the dust settled in a day.
The movie shook the sleeping consciousness of the country to its core and day after day it became the talk of the town.The film depicted the exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits in a most blunt way. Director Agnihotri says that several movies had been made on Kashmir after the advent of terrorism, but they usually “romanticised terrorism” and never spoke about the atrocities on the Kashmiri Hindus.
The films gives a glimpse of what exactly happened in the northernmost state of India in late 80s and early 90s. But will a movie give justice to the terror-hit minority community?.But over three decades have passed since the aborigines of Kashmir faced brutal atrocities. So why not the cases be investigated now? No FIRs have filed, ask some critics. “It is a fact that Kashmiri Pandits were kidnapped, physically assaulted, raped, brutally murdered and the genocide happened. And what if 30 years have passed. As far as the right to justice is concerned, there is no time limit for it,” said Supreme Court Advocate AshwiniUpadhyay. This would be a fitting reply for those who claim that Muslims are wrongly depicted , branded allegations. He suggests ‘the Kashmiri Pandits should demand an NIA investigation from the J&K LG. “I believe it will be the most effective investigation as there is massive violence and foreign funding”.
Another Delhi-based lawyer Vineet Jindal said the Pandits, who are now displaced and are currently residing in different parts of the country may also use the option of ‘Zero FIR’.Upadhayaysaid the injury is not always physical, “it can be social, financial and mental trauma as well.”
Responding to a question how will a minority community member gather evidence after 30 years?,Upadhyay responded, “See the evidence is of two types — one is materialistic evidence and the other is circumstantial evidence. Important is to secure justice, the Courts might also go by circumstantial evidence. Similarly, although there is no Law on Narco Polygraph and Brain Mapping but considering it an exceptional case, the court may direct the narco polygraph and brain mapping test of the accused and based on the result, the court can pass the judgment.”
Congress, Muslims and communists have been complaining that the film incites hatred against the Muslims by “unilaterally displaying half-truths and unsubstantiated fabrications. But the truth is other way round and the amount of box office collections tell people are the masters and believe its contents. They come with tearing eyes is the best response to show its success. Before doing the films, the makers did a thorough research to leave no room for missing facts. Puducherry Lieutenant governor Tamil Isai Soundararajan said after seeing the movie, ‘ it is a story of pandits who were made refugees in their own country and bring out this hidden fact to the younger generations and people of all walks of life. It offers new definition to freedom. Normally audience leave the theatre with happy moods after viewing. But this film made us to leave with heavy hearts and eyes full of tears”.
Prime Minister Modilauded “The Kashmir Files”, a movie focusing on the plight of Kashmiri Pandits, for “unearthing the truth”. He came down heavily on those criticizing it saying they are part of the “eco-system” around and don’t do justice to the self-espoused concept of freedom of expression.
The film e has been made tax-free by eight BJP-ruled States — Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Tripura, Goa, Karnataka, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Haryana.
Petitions have been sent to the President of the India to re-open cases related to ‘massacre’ of Kashmiri Pandits and constitute a special investigation team to thoroughly probe the cases reported till now. If such action taken, definitely it will not waive the memories or offer succor to the agonies and pains undergone by the pandits, made them refugees in their own soil but will help them to gain self-esteem and a history will be rewritten with facts.