Filmmaker Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri, best known for The Kashmir Files, has asserted that most Americans remain unaware of the Kashmir conflict and the complex history behind the India-Pakistan tensions. In a recent interview with India Today Digital, Agnihotri shared his thoughts on Western perceptions of Kashmir and emphasized the role of cinema in shaping global understanding.
“I just came back from the US and I know they have absolutely no idea about this region or how it works” Agnihotri said. He believes that ignorance among American diplomats and citizens stems from a lack of exposure to the human stories and historical truths of Kashmir. “In India, we keep questioning, debating around it, and that is the reason that, in this conflict with Pakistan, suddenly, American diplomats have raised the question of Kashmir. That is because they don't know, they are not aware,” he added.
Referring to the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22, which killed 26 civilians, and India’s precision strikes in retaliation, Agnihotri said the West only started paying attention after these events. “We need to make more films on Kashmir and use it as our soft power to fight the world… the way Hollywood did by making so many films on the Holocaust that nobody in the world dared to say a word against it” he stated.
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When asked about the power of cinema to portray the Kashmir issue, Agnihotri emphasized the need for emotional honesty and empathy. “The only way to show Kashmir is with a lot of human touch, a lot of care, tenderness... anybody who makes a film on Kashmir must go and speak to victims,” he said. He called for a broader portrayal of pain and suffering across India, suggesting that filmmakers should approach these stories “with a lot of intensity, truth, and courage.”
Discussing his next film project, Agnihotri revealed it would focus on West Bengal. Tentatively titled The Bengal Files, the movie aims to examine the region’s troubled political and historical landscape. “Bengal is becoming another Kashmir,” he claimed. “The idea is not to blame anyone... just to show what happens when humanity is absent in a region and nobody cares.”
Agnihotri admitted his films often face backlash and accusations of political bias. However, he defended his approach: “I personally speak to people across sections, understand them, read many books, get all points of view and arrive at the truth... Until they feel the pain and the suffering of victims... people will never understand the gravity of the matter.”
The Kashmir Files, featuring Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi, and Darshan Kumar, was both a critical and commercial success. Agnihotri sees his work not just as filmmaking but as a mission to tell untold stories.
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