It's false propaganda: After Omar Abdullah, Udhayanidhi Stalin reacts on National Award for The Kashmir Files

Vivek Agnihotri's The Kashmir Files was awarded the Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film at the National Capital. Some political leaders were not pleased with the development.

Hyderabad: On Thursday, The Kashmir Files, helmed by Vivek Agnihotri was awarded the prestigious Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film. However, some political leaders were not pleased with the development. The Kashmir Files has sparked debate since its release in March 2022. The film is based on true events of Kashmiri Pandits during the early 1990s conflict in Jammu and Kashmir.

Despite the film's commercial success, there have been requests to ban it for "attempting to recast established history and propagating Islamophobia." With two contradictory narratives that arose around Agnihotri's film, it sparked a debate. One source labelled it a real description of atrocities committed against Pandits, while another dubbed it a "propaganda" creation that incites anti-Muslim feeling.

The film's director claimed to have interviewed over 700 exiles from the Kashmiri Pandit migration and to have documented their testimonies over a two-year period for the film. Now, at the 69th National Film Awards on Thursday, The Kashmir Files earned the Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film in the National Integration category. Soon after the announcement, politicians from several political parties slammed the award.

The latest to comment on the award to the Anupam Kher starrer is Udhayanidhi Stalin. Asked about his reaction, he said: "I haven't seen the film, but I hear it's false propaganda." Earlier, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah ridiculed The Kashmir Files on Twitter after it won the Nargis Dutt award for outstanding feature film on national integration. Omar jokingly questioned the award's category. The politician said on Twitter, "National integration," with a laughing face emoji.

• This is the biggest award coming from you @OmarAbdullah. If you had commented otherwise, I would have been very disappointed. Thanks again. https://t.co/ka7SC18lPB

  — Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri (@vivekagnihotri) August 24, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  This is the biggest award coming from you @OmarAbdullah. If you had commented otherwise, I would have been very disappointed. Thanks again. https://t.co/ka7SC18lPB

  — Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri (@vivekagnihotri) August 24, 2023

  ">

  This is the biggest award coming from you @OmarAbdullah. If you had commented otherwise, I would have been very disappointed. Thanks again. https://t.co/ka7SC18lPB

  — Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri (@vivekagnihotri) August 24, 2023

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and Jammu & Kashmir ex-CM Omar Abdullah protested The Kashmir Files being given the Best Film on 'National Integration'. MK Stalin, the chief minister of Tamil Nadu, stated, "The dignity of national awards should not be compromised for cheap politics." He went on to say, "It is shocking that a film that was ignored by neutral film critics as a controversial film has been awarded the National Integrity Nargis Dutt award."

The Kashmir Files, directed by Vivek Agnihotri, was one of the year's highest-grossing films. Among those who appeared in it were Anupam Kher, Darshan Kumar, Mithun Chakraborty, and Pallavi Joshi.