Vivek Agnihotri goes for morning walk amid Y-category security cover, people say ‘oh my tax money’

Director Vivek Agnihotri has shared a video from his morning walk around the city. But the filmmaker, who made The Kashmir Files (2022), wasn’t alone as he walked with his Y-category security cover. He said that was the price he has to pay for making the film based on the killings and exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from Kashmir. Also read: Vivek Agnihotri reacts as Ashoke Pandit equates ‘trolling’ of Pathaan with ‘attack on The Kashmir Files’

Sharing the video on Twitter, Vivek wrote, “The price one has to pay to show the Genocide of Hindus in Kashmir. In a Hindu majority country. Freedom of expression, ha.” Vivek added the hashtags ‘Imprisoned in own country’ and ‘Fatwa’. He is seen in a black track suit, walking around with a bunch of security personnel walking along with him.

The video received mixed reactions on Twitter. One of his followers wrote, “Oh my tax money,” and another wrote, “What a waste of taxpayer’s money!” A comment also read, “Humare tax ke paise se security le rahe hain, apni movie tax free karke (he is getting security cover from our tax money after his movie The Kashmir Files was made tax free).” Some also claimed the filmmaker was ‘showing off’ his security cover.

Post the release of his film The Kashmir Files in March this year, the filmmaker was granted Y-category security cover, which involves deployment of four to five armed commandos in close proximity of the protectee. The film is among the year’s highest grossing Bollywood films with gross worldwide collection of ₹340 crore. It stars Mithun Chakraborty, Anupam Kher, Darshan Kumar, Pallavi Joshi, Chinmay Mandlekar and Bhasha Sumbli.

Vivek recently started shooting for his next, The Vaccine War. Earlier this month, he shared a picture the film’s screenplay and the clapboard to announce the beginning of the shoot. It is scheduled to hit theatres in 11 languages on the occasion of Independence Day next year.

According to ANI, Vivek said about the film, “When The Kashmir Files was postponed during COVID lockdown, I started researching on it. Then we started researching with the scientists of ICMR & NIV who made our own vaccine possible. Their story of struggle and sacrifice was overwhelming and while researching we understood how these scientists fought a war waged against India not just by foreign agencies but even our own people. Yet, we won against superpowers by making fastest, cheapest and safest vaccine. I thought this story must be told so that every Indian can feel proud of their country.” He added that this will be “India’s first pure science film about a bio-war we had no idea about”.