New Delhi: Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid, whose criticism of ‘The Kashmir Files’ irked a section of the rightwing and made the Israeli diplomatic mission denounce the IFFI (International Film Festival of India) jury panel chief has offered a “total apology” to people if his comments have hurt or insulted people who suffered during the Kashmir exodus, but maintained his remarks were limited to the quality of the film.

“I didn’t want to insult anyone. My aim was never to insult the people or their relatives, who have suffered. I totally apologize if that’s the way they interpreted it...But at the same time, whatever I said and I said clearly that for me and my fellow jury members, it was and it is a vulgar propaganda movie that didn’t have a place and was inappropriate for such a prestigious competitive section.”

“I can repeat it again and again,” Lapid said speaking to CNN-News18. The award-winning film maker, who had referred to “The Kashmir Files” as a “propaganda, vulgar film”, said his remarks were neither a statement on the political situation in Kashmir, nor, in any way, a denial of the tragedy. “I have enormous respect for the tragedy, victims, survivors and for whoever suffers there. It (my remarks) was not at all about this. I’ll repeat these words 10,000 times if I have to say that I was not talking about the political issue, historical equation, or disrespecting the tragedy that happened in Kashmir. I was talking about the movie and that such serious topics deserve, in my opinion, a serious film. . . ,” he said.

Lapid also dismissed claims by fellow juror Sudipto Sen, who had distanced himself from Lapid’s statement and called it the director’s “personal opinion”.

“It wasn’t a personal opinion at all. We all thought that the movie used a series of manipulation, vulgar, violence because it was supposed to transmit a message that can cause hostility, violence and hate in the environment,” he said.

-------------------------------

Israeli filmmaker and International Film Festival of India (IFFI) jury head, Nadav Lapid, who courted controversy when he called The Kashmir Files a ‘vulgar propaganda’ earlier this week, in Goa, has apologized. In a recent interview, Lapid who called the film, directed by Vivek Agnihotri, “inappropriate for an artistic, competitive section of such a prestigious film festival” said that his aim was “not to insult anyone”. This comes some days after he defended his remarks and insisted “someone needs to speak up”.

In an interview with CNN News-18, Lapid expressed regret for inadvertently offending the sentiments of any community. “I didn’t want to insult anyone, and my aim was never to offend people or their relatives, who have suffered. I totally apologize if that’s the way they interpreted,” he said. He also claimed that the rest of the jury supported his stance; although, fellow juror (the only Indian on the jury), and director Sudipto Sen stated that the views endorsed by Lapid were entirely his own.

The cast of the movie and director Agnihotri, which was featured in the panorama section at IFFI, and Israeli ambassador Naor Gilon had criticised Nadav. Their reaction was acknowledged by the filmmaker who added that he understands Agnihotri’s anger at his comments, and stated that if anyone had said the same about one of his works, he would be furious too.

-------------------------------

Meanwhile, filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri, who has already moved on from the war of words, says, “Seriously, I don’t even care about what he says or doesn’t. Mere liye baat khatam ho gayi hai. I have come to shoot (for his next) in Pune, and I am getting so much love for the film. People have come and thanked me for making the film, so, I don’t need an endorsement from a foreigner. What does he know about my country... My only answer is Hrithik Roshan’s dialogue [from the movie Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara; 2011] Jab tak (sorry) dil se na nikle, it is not an apology.”