Vivek Agnihotri made major strides in 2022 with his film The Kashmir Files. While the film was mired in controversies, it went on to amass a lifetime collection of Rs. 252.90 crores as opposed to its budget of Rs 15 crores.
Gulshan Devaiah, who has previously worked with the film-maker on Hate Story, recently critiques the director for how he marketed the film.
During an interview with Siddharth Kanan, Gulshan Devaiah shared, “He is a marketing guy and he has a huge following. He is immensely successful now, as a film-maker, as an author. But yes, there are some things I am critical of. The example that I was writing about The Kashmir Files, they use a lot of footage of people who have gone through that pain. Those who watched the film could recall the time of the Kashmiri Pandit exodus and what all happened with them. So they were broadcasting that on social media as publicity. I feel that is exploitation.”
He added, “You are exploiting the actual pain and trauma of somebody. I am personally okay with that. I feel you are exploiting their real emotions, to publicize your film, which maybe is about them. That is in the zone of exploitation for me. On this one thing, I am critical about that film. Otherwise, it was an okay film and I think he is an okay director at best.”
Last year, Vivek Agnihotri had made a big claim saying after The Kashmir Files was released, several leading production houses approached him to make a sequel of the film. Released in 2022, The Kashmir Files revolved around the 1990 exodus of Kashmiri Hindus. Agnihotri was speaking to Galatta Plus when he claimed that a number of production houses and renowned stars approaced him with offers asking him to make a sequel of The Kashmir Files. The filmmaker further claimed that he was even offered Rs 300 crore to make the sequel.
“I didn’t want to fall into that trap,” Vivek Agnihotri said and then continued, “After The Kashmir Files, every single studio was ready to give me Rs 200-300 crore and every star has called me privately expressing their desire to do The Delhi Files or The Kashmir Files Part 2 with me. Anybody in his right sense would make The Kashmir Files 2.”
“I could have done that to make money. Instead, we went back and made a smaller film, struggling so hard, not sleeping for 50 days. Pallavi (actor and Agnihotri’s wife Pallavi Joshi) and I were running around. Whatever little money we earned, we have put it back into this film (The Vaccine War) and if this film doesn’t work, I am back to where I was before The Kashmir Files,” he added.
The Kashmir Files starred Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi and Darshan Kumaar in key roles. It was based on video interviews of the first-generation victims of the Kashmir exodus which took place in the 1990s. The film depicted the suffering, struggle and trauma that the Kashmiri pandits went throught. However, the film was also called a ‘propaganda’ movie by many.
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