Nadav Lapid clarifies 'The Kashmir Files' comments: 'I have the right to say what I think'

Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid recently earned the ire of many in India after he took exception to the inclusion of Vivek Agnihotri's 'The Kashmir Files' in the competitive section of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI). Lapid, known for films like 'Synonyms' and 'Policeman', was the jury chief at the festival and spoke about the film during the concluding event. He said that he and other jury members were "disturbed and shocked" by ‘The Kashmir Files’. "That felt to us like a propaganda, vulgar movie, inappropriate for an artistic competitive section of such a prestigious film festival,” he said. The comments created such a furore that Agnihotri, actor Anupam Kher, producer (and Agnihotri's wife Pallavi Joshi), and others had to respond to his comments. Agnihotri challenged by saying if he can prove the film is propaganda, he will leave filmmaking.

Also Read:Israeli filmmaker calls 'The Kashmir Files' 'vulgar' & 'propaganda': Everything to know about the controversy

Even Israeli Ambassador to India, Naor Gilon, had to condemn what he said in strict terms in a series of tweets, prefacing his statement by saying he should be ashamed.

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Now Lapid has clarified his criticism of the film. In an interview with India Today, he was asked what constitutes propaganda. He said, "No one can determine what is propaganda. One might think that Schindler's List is a propaganda film. I completely respect and accept this fact that many people loved this movie or feel it’s a brilliant movie. As well as I respect the fact people think terrible things about my movies. What I have done it’s my duty to say what I see. it’s a very subjective way."

He added, "What I have done or said is my duty to say what I see and it is a very subjective way. I have the right to say what I think and I am not anybody's property that I will seek any validation."

The Kashmir Files' tells a fictional story in the backdrop of Kashmiri Pandits' exodus in the early 1990s. The film had a polarised reception but went on to become a huge hit. While some called it a much-needed account of a tragic event often not part of the discourse surrounding the Kashmir issue, others called it blatant propaganda against Kashmiri Muslims supported, if not backed, by the ruling party.

Lapid has a history of being contrary and fiercely independent through his work. His 'Synonyms' was about a man wanting to escape his Israeli identity. Lapid's ambivalent outlook toward his Israeli identity is, in fact, a recurring theme in his films. His latest film, 'Ahed's Knee', which released in 2021, for instance, was said to be semi-autobiographical and had a protagonist who left Israel for France and was struggling to reinvent himself as a French citizen. This mirrored Lapid's life, as he too had left Israel for Paris at a young age.