Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri and wife Pallavi Joshi have done extraordinary research for their film, The Kashmir Files, due for release on 11th March. They have personally interviewed people spread over different countries and continents, who experienced first-hand the atrocities on Kashmiri Pandits who were forced to flee their homes or face death or rape in 1990.
At a press conference hosted by Zee Studios, Vivek and Pallavi this evening (28th February), a 20-minute recording of the conversations with the various people interviewed by Vivek and Pallavi was shown to the media. This must’ve been one of the rare media conferences which left many members of the fourth estate teary-eyed because the stories narrated by the subjects interviewed were indeed heart-rending. In fact, the conversations ended with most of the subjects interviewed, breaking down, some of them crying inconsolably.
With such emotional stories as the base of his human drama, Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri seems to have a winner on his hands. What seems to solidify his case is that his previous film, The Tashkent Files, was a sleeper hit which was a slow starter but which went on to run for 10 and 12 weeks in many cinemas across India. That film, too, was presented by Zee Studios. Besides, the powerful trailer of The Kashmir Files has already made an impact on the audience because of which there’s a strong buzz about the film among the public.
No doubt, the film is coming amidst many other films — Gangubai Kathiawadi (which is doing exceedingly well, will be in its third week when The Kashmir Files hits the screens), Jhund and The Batman (both of which will be in their second week) and Radhe Shyam (which will release simultaneously with The Kashmir Files) — but this kind of a situation will persist for several months now, thanks to the huge backlog of films owing to the many months of lockdown. However, for all the reasons mentioned above, exhibitors will not miss the opportunity of aptly showcasing The Kashmir Files as it seems to be a very bold attempt at laying bare a chapter of history which very few really and completely know about.