The Kashmir Files and the general audience | Vivek Agnihotri

Vivek Agnihotri’s Kashmir Files is a blockbuster within 4 days of release and for all the right reasons. I do not remember seeing the audiences connect and discuss a movie with so much emotion before this. Of course, the box office success speaks for itself as well. The primary reason for this is that The Kashmir Files resonates directly to a part of the audience who are directly or indirectly connected to the mass exodus that it depicts. But there is also the rest of the population of the country, ideologically inclined to genuinely appreciate the factual presentation and not spin a web of lies and criticism around it again; that is also visibly impacted.

There is a large part of the population in the country that has been whitewashed by the left ecosystem that has systematically taught us to be apologetic of the truths of our land. We are accepting, way more tolerant than we are given credit for and immensely sensitive; almost apologetic, to the rebellious masses that constantly and openly play the victim cards. We often dim our intensity in faith, hide our symbols from everyday exposure and even don’t find it necessary to keep fighting for and reiterating our faith every now and then with different tantrums.

While the above said is not a bad thing, the bad part is that we are always on the periphery of communal battles. We are yielding and lazy when it comes to fighting the often false interpretation of secularism in this country. We’re comfortable in our bubbles where friends from all walks of life influence our opinions, and we’re also scared of getting caught up in so-deemed unnecessary conflict/controversy or being labelled a right wing fundamentalist. So even though we often have strong opinions or facts pertaining to religious conflicts in the country, we brush it off stating to ourselves that we do not need the drama that could follow if we put it out in public.

The Kashmir Files truly is slapping away the apathetic illusion of lies and ignorance we are living in. Within four days of release, I can already notice people talking about it, talking about how important it was for the movie to come out, why everyone should be watching it and sharing the emotional responses that Vivek Agnihotri has been receiving from the victims of the forced exodus. Unapologetically, this time the facts and opinions are flowing free in real life and on social media and making an actual difference on people. This is truly what has been achieved in the last seven years – the courage to tell the truth and to put ourselves in the limelight with it. The ecosystem that has whitewashed a lot of horrendous atrocities in the name of equality or humanism or even blamed the majority for simply that, is being called out. This change in course of people young and old owing up to the truth of the land despite its complicated and controversial nature; is one of The Kashmir Files’ biggest achievement.