Vivek Agnihotri says 'stop free screening of The Kashmir Files' to BJP leader, buying ticket is true Nationalism

Vivek Agnihotri has asked a local BJP leader in Rewari, Haryana, to 'stop free screening of The Kashmir Files'. He wrote that 'true Nationalism and social service means buying tickets in a legal and peaceful manner'.

Vivek Agnihotri's The Kashmir Files, a film on the genocide of the Kashmiri pandits, is doing excellent business at the box office. The film, which crossed Rs 100 crore in just a week, is expected to mint a total of Rs 175 crores by Monday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has praised the film and it has also been made tax-free in many states including Gujarat, MP, Bihar, and Chhattisgarh. After many BJP leaders encouraged people to watch the film, now a local BJP leader in Rewari, Haryana, has organised a free screening of The Kashmir Files, which has not gone down well with Vivek Agnihotri. He has called it a 'criminal offense'.

Vivek Agnihotri is upset with the free screening of The Kashmir Files by a local BJP politician in Rewari. Sharing the poster of the free screening on Twitter, Agnihotri wrote, "WARNING: Showing #TheKashmirFiles like this in open and free is a CRIMINAL OFFENCE. Dear @mlkhattar ji, I’d request you to stop this. Political leaders must respect creative business and true Nationalism and Social service means buying tickets in a legal and peaceful manner (sic)."

A local politician from Haryana's Rewari announced that he is organising the screening of The Kashmir Files at a park free of cost. This irked Vivek Agnihotri and he appealed that politicians must respect the creative business. The filmmaker also said that nationalism and social service mean buying tickets for the movie. In his tweet, he tagged Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and asked him to stop this public screening by the local politician in Rewari.

Later, Arun Yadav, the state-in-charge of BJP in Haryana responded to Vivek Agnihotri's tweet and wrote that he has spoken to the person concerned and asked him to stop the screening and if he wants to show the film to people, he can show it in the theatres. Agnihotri thanked Yadav.

The Kashmir Files tells the true story of brutal sufferings endured by Kashmiri Pandits in 1990, during the Kashmir insurgency. It is a true story, based on video interviews of the first generation victims of The Kashmir Genocide of Kashmiri Pandit Community. It’s a heart-wrenching narrative of the pain, suffering, struggle and trauma of Kashmiri pandits and questions eye-opening facts about democracy, religion, politics and humanity.

The Kashmir Files' cast features Anupam Kher as Pushkarnath, Mithun Chakraborty as Brahma Dutt, Darshan Kumar as Krishna Pandit, Pallavi Joshi as Radhika Menon, Bhasha Sumbali as Shraddha Pandit and Chinmay Mandlekar as Farooq Malik aka Bitta, among others. The film is bankrolled by Tej Narayan Agarwal, Abhishek Agarwal, Pallavi Joshi and Vivek Agnihotri under the Zee Studios, IAmBuddha and Abhishek Agarwal Arts banners.

ALSO READ I Vivek Agnihotri’s The Kashmir Files surpasses Rs 100 crore worldwide, creates history