How is `The Kashmir Files` evoking a storm in India, with even the ruling BJP weighing in on its behalf?
How ‘The Kashmir Files’ has created havoc at the box office; crosses Rs 100 crore mark
HIGHLIGHTS
- Vivek Agnihotri’s directorial venture, The Kashmir Files, has done something unthinkable, smashing all the records at the box office in its first week.
- The Kashmir Files is a Hindi-language film based on real incidents about the exodus of Kashmiri Hindus during the Kashmir Insurgency.
Big releases like Alia Bhatt’s Gangubai Kathiawadi & Prabhas’ Radhe Shyam haven’t affected it at all as ‘The Kashmir Files’ crosses Rs 100 crore mark at the box office.
THE TRUTH ABOUT ‘THE KASHMIR FILES’ IS SO TRUE THAT PEOPLE WILL FIND IT UNBELIEVABLE.
Broken people don’t speak, they just need to be heard – The Kashmir Files
The movie ‘The Kashmir Files’ has put some serious questions in the minds of viewers about the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits, the brutal genocide, and the attacks that happened back then which shook the widely held notions established by decades of whitewashing and denials.
The film has made thousands of people realise the harsh reality of Kashmir and the brutal genocide that had been converted up and denied for all these years. Some people are even finding it hard to accept that the movie is actually based on true stories and that the victims of the episode were never heard.
The film unveils a lot of hidden stories and is declared tax-free in multiple states ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and became a huge box office success.
FILM APPRECIATION & CONTROVERSIES BY CRITICS
After the release, reviews started pouring in as the fans around the nation watched ‘first day, first show’ and so far, the movie is winning praises and facing controversies at the same time from both the audiences and critics.
It has been reported everywhere that Anupam Kher’s performance in The Kashmir Files has been praised by several film critics.
Trade Analyst and Indian Film critic Taran Adarsh called the movie brilliant and the most powerful film on Kashmir and the genocide and exodus of #KashmiriPandits. He also said that the film is Hard-hitting, blunt, brutally honest so JUST DON’T MISS IT and rated the film with 4 stars out of 5.
Earlier, the film had been rated 9.9/10 on IMDb which is a popular website hosting film and television audience reviews. However, after an ‘unusual activity’, the rating system for The Kashmir Files was changed and the film now stands at a rating of 8.3/10 for which the director Vivek Agnihotri calls unethical.
Read more: The Kashmir Files hits the theaters: People walked out with teary eyes
The Quint rated the movie 3.5 out of 5.
A critic from Deccan Herald praised the filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri for the use of non-linear narratives and strong dialogues, enviable background research.
Pinkvilla rated the film 3 out of 5 stars praising the cast performances, especially Anupam Kher’s.
A critic from The Indian Express rated the film a 1.5 out of 5 stars.
The Hindu described the film as disturbing; created with “some facts, some half-truths, and plenty of distortions” with compelling performances and brutally intense visualisations, aimed at inciting hatred against Muslims.
The Free Press Journal found the screenplay as well as individual performances to be sloppy; however, they admired the effort and rated the film 2.5 out of 5 stars.
The New Indian Express gave a rating of 1 out of 5 stars while castigating the filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri for exploiting the suffering of Kashmiri pandits.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with key ministers in his government (BJP) has praised the movie, where several BJP-ruled states have even waived tax on it, with police in Madhya Pradesh offering a day of leave to watch it.
Modi has even dismissed all the criticism and attacked movie critics in response to negative reviews, claiming that there is a great conspiracy to discredit the film, which of course, according to him “reveals the truth”. The opposition parties, on the other hand, have dismissed the film as a ‘propaganda tool’ of the ruling BJP Government.
Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Tripura, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Haryana, Gujarat, and Uttarakhand are the list of states which have declared the film tax-free.
The political attack continues after the former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah broke silence on the film stating while the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits was a “stain on Kashmiriyat”, the movie is far from the truth as the filmmakers have ignored all the sacrifices of the Muslims and Sikhs who had also suffered from terrorism.
“Don’t manipulate the truth. It’s not the right thing. If Kashmiri Pandits have fallen victims to terrorism, we have utmost regret about that, but let us not forget the sacrifices of Muslims and Sikhs who were also targeted by the same gun,” Omar Abdullah added.
Read More- Kashmir Files Row: Kashmiri Pandits shared Gut Wrenching stories on Quora!
THE RAMPAGE CONTINUES IN BOX OFFICE AFTER IT CROSSES 100 CRORES MARK
The The Kashmir Files Collection: ‘The Kashmir Files’ box office collection day 7: Vivek Agnihotri directorial crosses Rs 100 crore mark at worldwide box office (indiatimes.com) has been a box-office hit just after the release. As of 14 March 2022, the film has done an amazing job at the domestic box office. Additionally, the film earned an estimated amount of ₹5 crores at the overseas markets in its opening weekend.
Theatre owners in India have predicted that the film will not only cross the Rs 100-crore mark in ticket sales but can easily go on to enter the Rs 200-crore club.
Earlier, the film had only 400 screens and in just four days, according to the sources, it had grown to 2,700 screens. Now, obviously, it is easy to imagine the magnitude of the demand.
However, Vivek Agnihotri’s directorial film has already crossed Rs 100 crore mark at the worldwide box office breaking all the records in just a week.
According to the sources, the film reportedly earned Rs 22 crore on Holi, March 18, despite having opposition from Akshay Kumar’s Bachchhan Pandey. taking the total box office collection to Rs 119.30 crore.
From India to the United States of America and Australia, the film is doing exceptionally well all over the world and has become a game-changer. According to the experts, the film could easily touch Rs 350 crore at the box office worldwide.
#TheKashmirFiles joins the ranks of ALL TIME BLOCKBUSTERS [#Hindi films]… TRULY UNSTOPPABLE, REFUSES TO SLOW DOWN… Will cross ₹ 💯 cr today [#Holi]… Fri 3.55 cr, Sat 8.50 cr, Sun 15.10 cr, Mon 15.05 cr, Tue 18 cr, Wed 19.05 cr, Thu 18.05 cr. Total: ₹ 97.30 cr. #India biz. pic.twitter.com/Kzgd2SQDDN
— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) March 18, 2022
THE KASHMIR FILES CREATE HISTORY BUT BOLLYWOOD IS STILL SILENT
While the entire nation is talking about the phenomenon that this movie has created, Bollywood has been maintaining a stoic silence on its (The Kashmir Files’) success.
Except for Bollywood actors Kangana Ranaut and Akshay Kumar, no other famous Bollywood celebrity has commented or tweeted about the film. Kangana, who never shies away from speaking her mind, praised `The Kashmir Files` after watching the film and hit out at the Bollywood for its “pin-drop silence” on the film, stating that the movie’s performance has broken myths and preconceived notions about the kind of movies that will work at the box office in the post-pandemic phase.
The actor took the issue to her Instagram and lauded the film and its makers, and even said, “Itni achi film banayi hai inhone ki Bollywood ke paap dho diye” which means (They have made such a great movie that Bollywood’s all sins have been washed away).”
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.
Following the rise of the controversy, the Central government in its major move provided ‘Y’ category security cover to the filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri. ‘The Kashmir Files’ has received unprecedented government backing, and why not, since it is based on the exodus of Kashmiri Hindus from the Kashmir valley.
