PANAJI, Nov 23: ‘The Kashmir Files’ helped people all over the world to be aware of the tragedy that happened to Kashmiri Pandits in the 1990s, actor Anupam Kher said on Wednesday.
Speaking at Table Talks held in connection with the 53rd International Film Festival of India here, he said, “It is a film based on true incidents. Film Director Vivek Agnihotri interviewed around 500 people all around the world for the movie. On the night of 19th January 1990, 5 lakh Kashmiri Pandits had to leave their homes and memories in the Kashmir valley following rising violence. As a Kashmiri Hindu, I lived with the tragedy. But nobody was recognising the tragedy. World was trying to hide this tragedy. The film started a healing process by documenting the tragedy.”
Reminiscing the process of giving life to a tragedy he suffered, Kher said that The Kashmir Files is not just a film to him, but an emotion which he portrayed on screen. “Since I represent the people who got expelled from their homes, I consider it a great responsibility to express it in the best possible manner. My tears, my difficulties which you are seeing in this film are all real,” he added.
Anupam said in this film instead of using his craft as an actor, he used his soul to give expression to the truth behind real life incidents. He also highlighted that the main theme behind the movie is to never give up.
“Hope is always around the corner,” he said.
Covid pandemic and ensuing lockdown has influenced the way in which people watch movies. Emphasising this fact further, Anupam Kher said that with the OTT platforms, audience have got into the habit of watching world cinema and multi lingual films.
“The audience got a taste of realistic films. Those films which has an element of reality will surely connect with the audience. The success of films like Kashmir Files is a testament to it. Without any songs, any comedy, the film turned out still amazing. This is actually the triumph of cinema”, he added.
As a piece of advice to upcoming filmmakers, he said that one should remove the notion from their minds that they are from a particular language film industry.
“Instead, the film makers must identify themselves as film makers from the Indian film industry doing a particular language film. It is a larger than life film industry,” he said. (UNI)
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