New Delhi: It was a night of star power and cinematic pride at Vigyan Bhawan on Tuesday as President Droupadi Murmu honoured stalwarts of Indian cinema at the 71st National Film Awards.

The spotlight, however, belonged to Malayalam superstar Mohanlal, who received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, while Bollywood icons Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukerji and Vikrant Massey walked away with top honours in acting categories.

Mohanlal, already decorated with the Padma Shri (2001) and Padma Bhushan (2019), was visibly moved as he accepted Indian cinema’s highest recognition. “I am deeply humbled to be the youngest recipient and only the second ever from Kerala. This moment is not mine alone, it belongs to the entire Malayalam film fraternity,” he said. Sharing the honour with colleagues, he added: “I never dared to dream of this moment. It feels magical, it feels sacred.”

President Murmu presented the award to Mohanlal amid a thunderous standing ovation. Fellow superstar Mammootty called him “a true artist who has lived and breathed cinema,” while Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised him as someone who “epitomizes excellence and versatility.”

In perhaps the most Bollywood-dominated edition of the awards, Shah Rukh Khan won his first National Award for Best Actor in over two decades for his blockbuster ‘Jawan’. “This award is a blessing. ‘Jawan’ was a film made from the heart, and I dedicate this to every fan who has stood by me through the years,” Shah Rukh said.

Actor Vikrant Massey, who shared the Best Actor award with Shah Rukh for ‘12th Fail’, credited director Vidhu Vinod Chopra for his journey. Rani Mukerji was honoured as Best Actress for ‘Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway’. “This film was about the power of a mother’s fight. This recognition belongs to every woman who has faced injustice and refused to give up,” Rani told mediapersons.

The Evening reflected cinema’s diversity: ‘Kathal—A Jackfruit Mystery’ was named Best Hindi Film, Sudipto Sen won Best Director for ‘The Kerala Story’, while Shilpa Rao took home Best Female Playback Singer for Chaleya from ‘Jawan’.

Sudipto Sen’s excitement on winning the National Film Award for Best Director for his film The Kerala Story (2023) was dampened when the Chief Minister of Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan criticized the film for the win. The CM wrote on X, “By honouring a film that spreads blatant misinformation with the clear intent of tarnishing Kerala’s image and sowing seeds of communal hatred, the jury of the #NationalFilmAwards has lent legitimacy to a narrative rooted in the divisive ideology of the Sangh Parivar (sic).”

Reacting to this, Sudipto says, “I had a lot of respect for him, but he shouldn’t have said something like this. Had he watched the film, he would understand that it has nothing to do with Kerala. It is about the ISIS model being executed from the state, which is a known fact. In fact, BBC made a film on that.”

Sudipto adds, “People know how ISIS operates in the US and Australia. Pinarayi sir is a respected politician. He should not have made such a loose comment. It’s unfortunate.”

The 2023 film revolves around a group of girls who are coerced into converting to Islam and joining the Islamic state. Sharing how winning the National Film Award is a dream come true for him, the director adds: “When you start your career as a filmmaker, you dream of certain things, and a National Film Award is one of them. But I never saw it coming for this one.”

The 71st National Film Awards couldn’t have gotten starrier than this. Superstar Shah Rukh Khan won his first National Award in his 33-year career for his double role in Jawan (2023). The actor shared the honour with Vikrant Massey, who won it for 12th Fail (2023). Bollywood entertainers seemed to dominate the awards as Rani Mukerji took home the Best Actress award for Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway (2023).

On the one hand, Khan’s fans saw the win as overdue, considering his restrained act in Swades (2004) was overlooked by the National Film Awards jury 20 years ago. On the other hand, some social media users called the Jawan win “laughable” and “a joke”.

The Best Director award went to Sudipto Sen for The Kerala Story (2023) — a win that will presumably be debated over the next few days. The movie, which centred on the alleged coerced religious conversion of Malayali women, was widely criticized. An elated Sen called the win “validating”.

He told mid-day, “I would’ve been even happier if the film had also taken the top honour, but this recognition validates everything we set out to express through The Kerala Story.”

With Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani winning the Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment, co-writer Ishita Moitra told mid-day, “It’s Karan Johar’s [filmmaker] hard work and love that shines in this film.”

The film also won Vaibhavi Merchant the Best Choreography award. She learnt about the win when we called her. “This is overwhelming. You’ve broken the news to me,” said a surprised Merchant. 

Deepak Kingrani, who bagged the Best Dialogue award for Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai, said, “This win is important as [it gives us] courage to write and producers to pump money in such films.”

Director Sudipto Sen has refuted recent media reports that his 2023 film, The Kerala Story, will have a sequel based on the Hema Committee report that details the exploitation and harassment of women in the Malayalam film industry.

However, Sen confirmed that a sequel is definitely on the cards. “I don’t know where this information surfaced from, it is not true. After seeing the reports, Vipul (Shah; producer) and I laughed. There will be a sequel to the film and the scripting is underway, but it has nothing to do with the Hema Committee report.”

Meanwhile, a source close to the production reveals, “The Kerala Story 2 will be based on the radicalisation of the Kerala society, particularly north Kerala, and the spreading of Islamic fundamentalism in the state. It will have nothing to do with Indian politics or religion. It will offer a perspective on how the state has become a hotbed of ISIS recruitment, anti-national and anti-societal movements.”

About who will feature in the sequel, the source shares that it will “definitely have a new cast,” adding, “The film will go on floors early next year and is expected to release in the second half of 2025.”

Producer Vipul Shah and director Sudipto Sen’s The Kerala Story (2023) became a hit at the box office, despite being panned by critics and some sections of the audience. Now, the makers are back with Bastar: The Naxal Story, which sees Adah Sharma play an IPS officer countering the Maoist/Naxal insurgency in Bastar, Chhattisgarh.

Creative director-producer Shah remembers being “shaken to the bone” when Sen brought the story to him, which reportedly focuses on the 2010 Maoist attack in Dantewada that killed 76 Central Reserve Police Force [CRPF] jawans.

“When you see our CRPF jawans being killed, the Maoists/Naxals resorting to violence to [hinder] any development in the interiors, you wonder, who are these people? There are several intellectuals in the cities giving them cover by saying they are the Robin Hoods of Bastar. How would you react on reading that there was a celebration in the Jawaharlal Nehru University [JNU] after 76 CRPF jawans were killed by the Naxals? One can have differences with a political party or a leader. But when you go against the nation, it’s a problem,” states Shah.

Sen’s knowledge of the Naxal movement goes back to his childhood. He shares, “My siblings were part of this movement, so I saw how it diversified, went south and eventually made Bastar the red sector. I feel the human tragedy remains under-reported due to some media houses and the system supporting this. Vipul ji and I shared the same passion towards this story. It’s our responsibility to convey this to a wider population.”

For Bastar’s leading lady, the role of an IPS officer is a drastic shift from her portrayal of a survivor of religious conversion in The Kerala Story. Sen praises Sharma for prepping extensively for her part. 

“Adah went to Chhattisgarh, met the IPS officers leading the anti-Naxal operations, like the Cobra Force. She accompanied them into the jungles to see how they prepare and combat. In the Bastar trailer, you will notice that hers is not a glamorous part. A lot depends on the character of the person playing the role. Adah is ready to work doubly hard, the result is for everyone to see.”

Bollywood ruled 2023! From our seasoned superstars raking in the moolah to impactful performances by the younger lot, Hindi cinema lovers got it all! Actor Shah Rukh Khan returned to the big screen with a bang, with not just one or two, but three power-packed performances. Actor Sunny Deol, on the other hand, marked his dhamakedar comeback with the sequel to his 2001 hit Gadar: Ek Prem Katha. Actors Ranbir Kapoor (Animal), Vicky Kaushal (Sam Bahadur) and Vikrant Massey (12th Fail) proved their mettle.

“What a year! Mooh tod jawaab to those who wrote off Bollywood,” says trade expert Atul Mohan.

The audience was served good content and film clashes on a platter this year. The Akshay Kumar-Pankaj Tripathi-starrer OMG 2 clashed with Deol’s Gadar 2; when everyone thought the latter would devour the former, it never came to pass. We also saw clashes between Kaushal and Kapoor, and Shah Rukh’s Dunki and actor Prabhas’ Salaar.

OMG 2 director Amit Rai says, “We saw masses and classes come out to watch films. Some thought cinema se maar-dhaad gayab ho gaya hai, but public ne woh bhi qubool kiya. Future mein, yeh saal sabse important year maana jaayega, in terms of footfall and collections.”

Films set in small towns like Zara Hatke Zara Bachke (Rs. 88 crore), 12th Fail (Rs. 50 crore) and Satyaprem Ki Katha (Rs. 75 crore), too worked their magic. Controversy was swirling around director Sudipto Sen’s The Kerala Story, but it went on to become one of the biggest successes, this year, as it breached the Rs. 200-crore club.

Sen says, “It’s good for the industry that small films worked.” For Rai, 12th Fail was a surprise: “Vikrant, the lead actor isn’t that big a star. Yet it worked and the return on investment is crazy.”

The industry also saw a few lows as some films didn’t quite hit the mark with their box-office collections. Actor Salman Khan’s Tiger 3, one of 2023’s most anticipated releases, with a budget of Rs. 300 crore, earned Rs. 466 crore. Ganapath, made on a budget of Rs. 200 crore, earned Rs. 13.38 crore, while Kuttey and Thank You For Coming, both produced with a budget of Rs. 45 crore, earned Rs. 4.65 crore and Rs. 9 crore, respectively.

Devang Sampat, CEO, Cinepolis India, says, “This is part and parcel of making films. After Covid-19, we saw a recovery of 90% in 2022 and it reached 110% in 2023. It’s a great sign.”

In a bid to lure audiences back to the silver screen, theatres are employing innovative strategies such as Buy One, Get One (BOGO) offers and reduced ticket prices. These tactics aim to not only attract moviegoers but also ensure the success of films that might otherwise struggle to find an audience. With several recent releases reaping the benefits, it appears that these approaches are yielding positive results.

One film that capitalized on the BOGO offer was Zara Hatke Zara Bachke (ZHZB). According to insiders, the offer came with a limited number of free tickets available each day. Once the cap was reached, tickets reverted to their regular prices. ZHZB managed to earn Rs. 5.49 crore on its opening day, with nearly Rs. 50 lakh coming from the BOGO offer alone. “Fortunately, ZHZB’s content was good, so the offer became an advantage,” says Rajender Singh Jyala, chief programming officer, PVR Limited.

The makers of The Kerala Story recently announced that audiences could now watch the film for just Rs. 99 (plus GST) nationwide. Sudipto Sen, the film’s director, explains that “this decision was driven by the exorbitant ticket prices in major cities. By lowering the cost, the film could reach a broader audience, including smaller cities where it hadn’t been released previously”. 

While in the case of Shehzada, the BOGO offer couldn’t weave magic, it contributed to the success of the re-mastered version of Gadar (2001). Its director and producer, Anil Sharma, shares, “We made the tickets cheaper so that even a poor person could come to a multiplex. Otherwise, today, ticket prices are such that taking a family to one film costs anywhere between Rs. 1,000-1,500. This is also why films don’t work well.”

Meanwhile, Hollywood movie The Flash has adopted a unique strategy by announcing “Flash Sales” twice a day for 20 minutes (the offer lasted for three days until June 14), where users who are able to book tickets through a multiplex chain’s app will get 50% off on tickets.

Exhibitor Akshaye Rathi encourages such tactics, but says, “This kind of strategy would never be successful for films like Brahmastra (2022) and Pathaan because it’d erode potential revenue. But for (small or medium-budget) films like ZHZB, it works like magic. This becomes the push to watch in halls instead of web.”

Sudipto Sen directorial The Kerala Story has been embroiled in controversy ever since its release. From bans on its theatrical release in some states to backlash from a section of the audience, including celebs, the film — which has amassed Rs. 200 crore — has seen it all. Now, actor Kamal Haasan has reacted to the controversy surrounding the film, which deals with religious and ideological conversions at its core.

“Propaganda films I am against,” Haasan said at a presser in Abu Dhabi, adding, “It’s not enough if you just write ‘true story’ at the bottom as a logo. It has to really be true, and that (the film) is not true.”

When asked what kind of stories he’d like to see on the big screen, he said, “I think you have to hit the true chord with the audience. That kind of cinema is not [any] one kind of cinema... All kinds of cinema should come over. And, I am a great fan of smaller movies. [They are] like babies that grow up to be something really big. I also became a star through these kind of smaller films, which made it big with the audience.”

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As his film continues to get branded as ‘propaganda’, director Sudipto Sen prefers to not react. “Earlier, I used to try and explain. But today, I don’t do that. Those who didn’t see it (the film) are criticizing it; just the way it was not released in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. These guys didn’t see the film, so they think it is propaganda. There are very stupid stereotypes in our country. Life has to be black or white; people don’t know life exists in the grey,” he tells us, on the remark by actor Kamal Haasan.

Currently hospitalized due to dehydration and infection, Sen says he isn’t averse to criticism. But, one needs to watch the film and then speak, he feels.

“In 37 countries, people are liking the film. Even if they have criticism, they are calling and discussing it with me. A person is indulging in propaganda by calling it a propaganda film, without watching it. What else would the words be than hypocrisy or petty! I have stopped explaining,” he adds.

As The Kerala Story continues to find itself at the centre of controversy, director Sudipto Sen admits that he had not anticipated the extreme pushback the film has received from certain sections of society. “I was ready for some opposition, yes. But, I was not prepared for such a backlash,” he tells us.

While the film — which revolves around the themes of religious conversion and radicalization — continues to make money at the box office, many have accused it of hatemongering. To address these claims, the makers held a press conference in Mumbai on Wednesday, bringing together 26 real-life radicalization survivors.

Calling the political debate around the film “unnecessary”, Sen rues, “No political party should have opposed us as we are talking about the stories of girls and their lives. If only they (political leaders) had said, ‘These girls have gone through enough. Let’s debate over the different aspects to it.’”

The filmmaker, in fact, finds this reaction confusing. “We have been taught by political leaders that terror has no religion. But, when we started talking about terror, they brought in religion. This dichotomous situation was not expected,” he says.

London: A section of the Indian diaspora in Britain is furious after ‘The Kerala Story’ got mysteriously pulled from cinema websites and all the tickets bought were refunded as it failed to get classified by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) in time for its release.

It was due to be released in Hindi and Tamil in 31 cinemas in the United Kingdom and Ireland on May 12. But out of the blue on Friday, all cinemas stopped ticket sales from their websites and all shows were cancelled.

Saloni Belaid had bought three tickets on Wednesday to view the movie at Cineworld on May 12. On Friday afternoon she received an email, which TOI has seen, saying: “Due to the lack of age certification for The Kerala Story by the BBFC, we have had to cancel the booking you made. We have processed a full refund. We apologise for any inconvenience.”

She told TOI: “Loads of people had booked to see it this weekend and our screening was 95% full.”

The BBFC said: “The Kerala Story is still going through our classification process. Once the film has received a BBFC age rating and content advice, it will be available to be screened in UK cinemas.”

Scores of British Indians expressed their disapproval on Twitter. “Surely BBFC is not delaying as part of its move to appease the extremists?” tweeted Kapil Dudakia.

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London: Suresh Varsani, director of 24 Seven Flix4U, which is distributing ‘The Kerala Story’ in UK, was forced to contact all the cinemas at midday on Friday and ask them to pull the film as it is illegal to release a film in Britain without classification.

He said, “It is very concerning. I gave them the film on Wednesday and there were three versions — Hindi, Tamil and the Malayalam. They watched one on Wednesday and the other two Thursday. Age classification is normally done on the day.”

He has been emailing the BBFC since Thursday and all they keep telling him is that “compliance is reviewing it”. On Friday he called them and they confirmed it won’t get classified that day. He emailed and called again and they did not respond.

“I am very suspicious that they have not given a valid reason. Why do they need more time when they have had three days? I have never come across a situation like this where a film has not been classified when it is meant to be released. USA, India, Australia and Canada and Ireland have all passed it. I don’t get what the issue is,” he said. Varsani said between him and the cinemas they have lost a combined £40,000 to £50,000 (Rs 40 to 50 lakh).

The Hindu Community Organizations Group UK, which represents more than 45,000 Hindu and Jains, has written to the BBFC requesting an immediate investigation.

But not everyone wants the movie released. “OK Ki Report” tweeted: “Never screen this film, it is actually made to spread mischief, its purpose is to spread hatred against Muslims for political gains.”

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The Kerala Story was released in over 200 screens in the US and Canada on Friday. “The Kerala Story is a mission which is beyond the creative boundaries of cinema, a movement that should reach the masses all over the world and raise awareness,” director Sudipto Sen told a group of Indian American reporters during a virtual news conference.

(L-R): US producer Jinko Gotoh, French documentary filmmaker Javier Angulo Barturen and French film editor Pascale Chavance said they stand by Lapid’s statement that The Kashmir Files (below) was ‘a vulgar and propaganda’ movie

Three members of the jury board of the just concluded International Film Festival of India (IFFI) have said that “they stand by” the jury head, Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid, following his recent comments on The Kashmir Files. Lapid drew sharp reactions when he called it “a propaganda and vulgar movie that was inappropriate for an artistic and competitive section of such a prestigious film festival”.

In a joint statement issued through social media, BAFTA winner American producer Jinko Gotoh, French film editor Pascale Chavance and French documentary filmmaker Javier Angulo Barturen said, “We were not taking a political stance on the film’s content. We were making an artistic statement, and it saddens us to see the festival platform being used for politics.”

However, Sudipto Sen, the lone Indian in the jury, maintained that the remarks made by Lapid about the film were his personal opinion. “As a board member, I stand by that we didn’t award The Kashmir Files. We only awarded five films. This decision was unanimous. And we gave an official presentation to the NFDC and the festival authority. After that jury board’s work is done. Now after that if somebody goes in public and picks up one particular film and says something which is not expected, then that is his personal feeling. It has nothing to do with the jury board (sic),” Sen said.

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Three fellow International Film Festival of India (IFFI) jury members have come out in support of Nadav Lapid, the Israeli filmmaker who was in the eye of a storm for his remarks on The Kashmir Files.

In a joint Twitter statement, American producer Jinko Gotoh, French film editor Pascale Chavance and French filmmaker Javier Angulo Barturen, said, “We stand by his (Lapid’s) statement. And to clarify, we were not taking a political stance on the film’s content. We were making an artistic statement, and it saddens us greatly to see the festival platform being used for politics and subsequent personal attacks on Nadav,” the statement read.

Sudipto Sen, the lone Indian in the jury board, however, maintained that Lapid’s remarks were his personal opinion. “I stand by that we didn’t award The Kashmir Files. We only awarded five films. This decision was unanimous. We gave an official presentation to the NFDC and the festival authority. After that jury board’s work is done,” Sen said. “Now they (the three jury members) are not in the country. I am. So, I would’ve been the best person to defend that, but they did not include me. It means it’s not the jury board’s decision,” he added.

Lapid had termed the film “vulgar and propaganda” in his speech at the award ceremony during the closing night of the nine-day film festival, but later apologized to anyone he had offended. 

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.

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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.

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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.”

New Delhi: After sparking a political row with his comments criticizing ‘The Kashmir Files’ as a “propaganda” film, Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid has said he stands by everything he said because “in countries that are increasingly losing the ability to speak the truth, someone needs to speak up”.

At the closing ceremony of the 53rd edition of IFFI (International Film Festival of India) this week, Lapid had said that he and his fellow jurors were “disturbed and shocked” by the inclusion of ‘The Kashmir Files’ in the artistic competition segment of the film festival since it was “a propaganda, vulgar movie”. Indian juror Sudipto Sen, however, distanced himself from Lapid’s comments calling them his “personal opinion”.

Lapid was also slammed for his remarks by Israeli ambassador to India Naor Gilon, Consul General Kobbi Shoshani and former Israel ambassador to India Daniel Carmon.

An unfazed Lapid clarified that his comments did not “express one position or another on the conflict in Kashmir”. He said he spoke because he felt it his “duty” to speak his mind as the president of the international competition section jury since he “knows how to recognize propaganda disguised as a movie”, and because while it was not a crime to make bad films, what Vivek Agnihotri had directed was “crude, manipulative and violent”.

“Making bad films is not a crime, but this is a very crude, manipulative and violent propaganda film,” Lapid said in an interview with Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz. “The truth is that I also couldn’t help but imagine a similar situation that might happen one day soon in Israel, and I would be happy that in such a situation the head of a foreign jury would be willing to say things as he sees them. In a way, I felt it was my duty to the place that invited me,” he said.

The director of ‘The Kashmir Files’ Vivek Agnihotri, however, had defended his film. In a statement, he also threw an open challenge to all “intellectuals, urban naxals and even the Israeli filmmaker who made these remarks to prove if any scene, dialogue or event shown in the film is false”, promising to quit filmmaking if they find any falsehood in the film.

Lapid said he was not surprised by the outrage over his comments. “Since this is a film that the Indian government encourages, I assume that the government there is not happy about it. But is a country only about its government? I assume not. What I said is not comfortable for the Government of India, nor for the government in the making in Israel, which the ambassador there represents,” he said.

The award-winning filmmaker also alleged that the jury had learnt that ‘The Kashmir Files’ was “pushed into the official competition” of the festival “due to political pressure”. “You have an obligation to say the things that the people who live there may have a harder time saying,” the Paris-based filmmaker said.

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Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid, who earned the ire of many social media users after he called The Kashmir Files a “propaganda and vulgar film”, has opened up about his controversial comments during the closing ceremony of the 53rd International Film Festival (IFFI), held in Goa.

Speaking to Y-Net, Lapid said he was aware that “the event was connected to the country and people praise the government”.

“It is not an easy position, because you are a guest and are treated very nicely. Then you come and attack the festival. There was apprehension and discomfort; I didn’t know what the dimensions would be. Let’s put it this way: I’m happy to be on my way to the airport now,” said the filmmaker.

Addressing the trolling he faced on the net Lapid shared, “In countries that are increasingly losing the ability to speak the truth, someone needs to speak up. When I saw this movie, I couldn’t help but imagine its Israeli equivalent, which doesn’t exist but could.”

Amid the IFFI row, filmmaker Vivek Agnithotri, who directed the film in question, announced what seems to be the sequel to the film, titled - The Kashmir Files Unreported. Speaking to Aaj Tak, Agnithotri said, “I am determined now and I am making an announcement. We have many stories, anecdotes and truths. But now, I have decided that I will bring out the whole truth.”