Gulshan Devaiah expresses disapproval of Vivek Agnihotri's handling of the 'Kashmir Files' promotion
Gulshan Devaiah expresses disapproval of Vivek Agnihotri's handling of the 'Kashmir Files' promotion
Vivek Agnihotri's 2022 film, The Kashmir Files, was a cinematic juggernaut. Despite sparking heated controversies, the movie became a commercial phenomenon, raking in a staggering Rs. 252.90 crore at the box office—a far cry from its modest Rs. 15 crore budget.
However, not everyone is celebrating the film's success. Actor Gulshan Devaiah, who previously collaborated with Agnihotri on Hate Story, has emerged as a vocal critic, specifically targeting the film's marketing strategies. Let's delve into the controversy surrounding The Kashmir Files and the accusations surrounding its promotional tactics.
In a conversation with Siddharth Kanan, Gulshan Devaiah revealed, “He is a marketing guy, and he has a huge following. He is immensely successful now, as a filmmaker and as an author. But yes, there are some things I am critical of. In 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 happened to them. So they were broadcasting that on social media as publicity. I feel that is exploitation.”
He further mentioned, 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 may be about them. That is in the zone of exploitation for me. On this one thing, I am critical of that film. Otherwise, it was an okay film, and I think he is an okay director at best.”
Last year, Vivek Agnihotri made a significant statement, stating that after the release of The Kashmir Files, many top production companies approached him about creating a sequel to the film. The Kashmir Files, released in 2022, focused on the 1990 exodus of Kashmiri Hindus.
Agnihotri mentioned in an interview with Galatta Plus that several production houses and well-known actors had approached him with offers to produce a sequel. He also mentioned being offered Rs 300 crore to make the sequel.
Vivek stated, “I didn’t want to fall into that trap,” and he further continued saying that with the success of The Kashmir Files, multiple studios were prepared to offer between Rs 200 and Rs 300 crore, and several actors had privately contacted him expressing interest in collaborating on projects like The Delhi Files or The Kashmir Files Part 2. He emphasized that it would be logical for anyone in his position to proceed with making The Kashmir Files 2.
He added, “I could have done that to make money. Instead, we went back and made a smaller film, struggling so hard and not sleeping for 50 days. Pallavi (the 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.
The Kashmir Files featured Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi, and Darshan Kumaar in important roles. It was based on interviews with the first-generation victims of the Kashmir exodus in the 1990s. The movie showed the hardships and pain experienced by Kashmiri Pandits during that time. However, it was also criticized as a 'propaganda' film by some people.
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