The Kashmir Files’ Vivek Agnihotri reacts after Ram Gopal Varma says he ‘hates’ the film: ‘Destroyed whatever I learned’

The Kashmir Files director Vivek Agnihotri has reacted after director-producer Ram Gopal Varma has said that he ‘hates’ the film. Reviewing a film for the first time in his life, Ram praised The Kashmir Files, saying that it ‘broke every rule in the book’. Sharing a video of himself reviewing the film on his YouTube channel, he said that the film destroyed whatever he learned and thought was right. (Also Read | Vivek Agnihotri requests Haryana CM to stop ‘illegal’ screening of The Kashmir Files: ‘Respect creative business’)

The video started with Ram Gopal Varma saying, “For the first time in my entire career, I am reviewing a film”. He continued, “I don’t really review the film’s subject or the controversial content, I want to review it as a filmmaker on how the film has been made.” He heaped praises how the movie was made, the storytelling as well as the characters. He also praised Anupam Kher’s performance in the film.

Ram also said, “Kashmir Files released and broke every rule in the book. It doesn’t have stars. There is no intention in the director to impress the audience which is what every filmmaker will be trying to do. He wants to impress.” He added that from now onwards when any director or filmmaker plans any new film ‘they can’t help but study and refer back to Kashmir Files’.

At the end of the video, he concluded, “I hate Kashmir Files because it destroyed whatever I learned, whatever I thought was right and whatever I thought was in at multiple times. I can’t go back and I can’t reinvent myself and can’t rethink now, ‘Oh, this is how it should be made’. No, can’t. So I hate Kashmir Files whether it is the director or acting style or it is the way the screenplay was made…I hate all of them because you guys made me and all of the filmmakers I would say lose our identity…I hate all the people associated with Kasmir files but I love Vivek Agnihotri for making this happen.”

Sharing his review on Twitter, he wrote, “Don’t take at face value that mainstream Bollywood, Tollywood, etc are ignoring the mega success of #kashmirifiles. The reality is they are taking it more seriously than the audiences, but their silence is because they are s*** scared. Watch my review.”

He also added, “.@vivekagnihotri single-handedly (footedly) kicked on the following myths a**** 1. Only big stars can get people into theatres, 2. Only mega budgets can get people into theatres, 3. Only #KapilSharmaShow can get people into theatres, 4. Only super hit songs can get people into theatres.”

Sharing a clip from Ram’s YouTube review, Vivek tweeted, “You hate #TheKashmirFiles @RGVzoomin and that’s why I love you.” The film has collected ₹141.25 crore at the box office within just over a week of its release.

The film, featuring Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty, and Pallavi Joshi, released in theatres on March 11. The Kashmir Files revolves around the exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits in the 1990s from the Kashmir Valley. The film has been declared tax-free in several states including Uttar Pradesh, Tripura, Goa, Haryana, and Uttarakhand.