‘The Kashmir Files’ Review and Public Response

Shreshtha Banerjee

The film, ‘The Kashmir Files’ was released today, March 11, 2022. And it has blown up! By the immense positive reviews, the film is getting, are way too unexpected. With such a frisky and very risky storyline, it was quite a bit to release the film.

The Storyline And Filmmaking

When depicting tragic real-life events, many filmmakers take a cautious, sometimes uncertain approach. However, in ‘The Kashmir Files’, filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri goes right for the impact, focusing on the departure of Kashmiri Hindus from the region in the early 1990s due to a surge in Islamic militancy, and the influence it has had on the community ever since. Agnihotri illustrates the injustice that existed in the region from the opening scene forward, and from there displays a sequence of brutal, terrible incidents that are sure to leave you uncomfortable in your seat. 

The Director Weaves Numerous Real-life Occurrences

To tell the story through the eyes of Pushkar Nath Pandit (Anupam Kher), who is a victim of the exodus and fights for justice and stability not just for himself, but also for his mourning family and the society as a whole. Through the incident, Agnihotri explores a number of other important issues, including the role of the government and the media at the moment, regional politics, the effect on quality necessities such as food and pharmaceutics, the new landscape of the near and dear ones, the aftermath, and contemporary perceptions of the tragic event. 

Agnihotri and his team deserve credit for their thorough investigation. However, while one may identify with Pushkar Nath Pandit’s personal narrative in the first half, that connection is lost in the second half due to the filmmaker’s effort to expose so many viewpoints at once. Furthermore, while there is an attempt to achieve a balance of points of view in the storyline, it is generally visible only near the end and appears to be absent in most of the plot.

The Tashkent Files was known for its strong accomplishments, and the same can be said for The Kashmir Files. Anupam Kher has already proven his versatility in a number of films, and in Pushkar Nath Pandit, he once again demonstrates why he is one of the most diverse actors in the industry. Pallavi Joshi was nominated for a National Award for her portrayal in The Tashkent Files, and she has done it again in The Kashmir Files. Darshan Kumar’s performance as a youth leader has a big influence, especially towards the conclusion. Mithun Chakraborty is perfectly cast and gives his all in his role. Chinmay Mandlekar deserves special attention for his outstanding portrayal as Farooq Ahmed. Vivek Agnihotri and Pallavi Joshi, directors, have vowed to change that. In their movie, The Kashmir Files, which itself is now being played in various places across the United States, they have accomplished what India has not done in 31 years: they have shown the true face of Kashmiri Hindu genocide. The film’s sheer breadth of reporting of Kashmiri Hindu slaughter while remaining gentle on the audience’s capacity to handle it is an accomplishment within itself.

Reviews By Critics

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