Suchitra Krishnamoorthi on The Kashmir-IFFI row: Nadav Lapid had no business condemning the film

Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid stirred up controversy during the closing ceremony of IFFI in Goa after he dubbed the Anupam Kher-starrer The Kashmir Files as ‘vulgar, propaganda’. Reacting to his controversial comments, actor and singer Suchitra Krishnamoorthi exclusively tells us, “Ever since The Kashmir Files was released, there seems to be a large lobby of Indians condemning the film. I wonder why! Can one deny the exodus /genocide the Kashmiri Pandits faced? Can one deny the mischief our neighbours have created and continue to create in the valley?”

The 47-year-old, who has always been vocal on the micro-blogging site, first tweeted about the IFFI chaos saying, “Shocked to hear #Israeli director calling #KashmirFiles a Vulgar Propaganda film!!! Its the most vulgar statement ive ever heard. Agree or not with the film, how dare anyone make a statement like this? Who gave this monkey a mike? This #NadavLapid sounds very stupid indeed.” She also tweeted, “Would #NadavLapid dare call #schindlerslist a vulgar propaganda film? Or deny the #Arab #Israel conflict or the creation of #Palestine? Those ignorant of India’s history have no right to pass such vulgar comments on our nation or our cinema.”

Taking a dig at Lapid, Krishnamoorthi further tells us, “Denying that it happened or calling it propaganda is politically motivated. He had no business condemning the film. It was greedy political opportunism on his part. Even the Israeli Consul in India distanced itself from Nadav Lapids appalling conduct.”

That being said, she admits that she could not watch The Kashmir Files because she found it “too violent, but I do believe it’s an important story that needed to be told. I have Kashmiri Pandits neighbours who were thrown out of their homes in the dead of night and lost everything in the 90’s. It was a brutal time. I hope they all get their homes back soon.”