Ashoke Pandit questions Nadav Lapid’s selection as IFFI jury head, says its ‘big blow to IFFI’s credibility’

Filmmaker Ashoke Pandit, a Kashmiri Pandit himself, has slammed IFFI jury head Nadav Lapid who called Vivek Agnihotri’s film The Kashmir Files ‘propaganda, vulgar’ at the closing ceremony of the festival in Goa on Monday.

He has also asked Information and Broadcasting minister Anurag Thakur to make Nadav ‘tender an apology’ as he has ‘added salt to our wounds’.

Taking to Twitter Monday night after Nadav’s speech at the International Film Festival of India, Ashoke wrote, “I take strong objection to the language used by Mr. Nadav Lapid for #kashmirFiles. Depicting the genocide of 3 lakh #KashmiriHindus cannot be called vulgar. I as a filmmaker and a #KashmiriPandit condemn this shameless act of abuse towards victims of terrorism.”

Demanding an apology from Nadav, he wrote in a request to I&B minister Anurag Thakur, “Dear @ianuragthakur ji. I as a #KashmiriPandit and who is a victim of genocide seek a serious action against Mr. #NadavLapid Jury head of IFFI 2022 for calling the depiction of our tragedy as vulgar. He has added salt to our wounds and hence should be made to tender a apology.”

He further tweeted, “#NadavLapid’s selection as the jury head of #IFFI53Goa is a major lapse on behalf of I&B ministry. Hence heads of those in the ministry, who are responsible for this crime, should roll. What does one expect from a Palestine sympathiser?”

Ashoke called Nadav’s remark on the film “a mockery” of the killings in Kashmir and said it hurts the credibility of the film festival where the remark was made. He wrote, “#Israeli filmmaker #NadavLapid has made a mockery of India’s fight against terrorism by calling #KashmirFiles a vulgar film. He has insulted 7 lakh #KashmiriPandits under the nose of the #BJP govt. Its a big blow to #IFFIGoa2022’s credibility. Shame.”

The Kashmiri Files actor Anupam Kher also reacted to the Nadav’s remark on Twitter. He simply shared a still of himself from the film along with stills from American film Schindler’s List which too was called a propaganda by a section of the society.