Vivek Agnihotri recalls being 'physically, professionally assaulted' for The Kashmir Files, warns The Kerala Story team of 'unimaginable hate'.
Vivek Agnihotri is quite vocal about his thoughts on social media. The filmmaker often shares his views with fans on Twitter on various topics. Recently, while congratulating the team of The Kerala Story for their work, the filmmaker talked about Cinema and Indic Renaissance and warned the team about receiving 'unimaginable hate' for the movie.
On Saturday, Vivek Agnihotri took to his Twitter and talked about what he heard about cinema while growing up and wrote, “I grew up listening to great filmmakers and cinema critics that the only purpose of art is to provoke people into questioning their own beliefs and biases.
I also grew up listening to that cinema reflects the reality of society. I was told that cinema must destroy old Gods and create new Gods. It’s an unwritten law that when evil becomes too strong, it's the artist’s dharma to expose it with his/her art.”
The filmmaker continued to say that the thought behind this I correct but the people who say it are wrong and said, “Did I hear it wrong? No. The thought is correct. But the people who say it are the wrong people. They talk about free speech but practice censorship. They talk about secularism but practice ‘othering’ and communal hatred. They talk about human rights but support terrorists and Naxals. They talk about exposing the evil but cover up the truth of the evil.”
Vivek Agnihotri further explained the power of media and said, “I have come to realize that in modern times cinema has the power to do what media and politics can’t do. It can present uncomfortable reality, correct history, fight culture war and also become the soft power of a nation for larger interest.”
The filmmaker further revealed how he was assaulted for making films like The Kashmir Files and said, “In India, making such cinema is not easy. I tried it with ‘Buddha in A Traffic Jam’, ‘The Tashkent Files’, and ‘The Kashmir Files. I have been physically, professionally, socially, and psychologically assaulted.”
He further claims that even his film The Vaccine War will be attacked upon release and said, “Even my forthcoming film ‘The Vaccine War’, a positive film, celebrating India’s greatest achievement, is constantly being attacked. Mostly by the same people who taught me all the above. When it releases, later this year, I can guarantee they will attack it with a new design because they don’t want India to succeed. Because Truth must not be told. Bharat must not be celebrated.”
He further recalled being attacked and abused when he announced his forthcoming movie The Delhi Files in Kolkata and wrote, “Recently, when in Kolkata I announced that my forthcoming 2024 film ‘The Delhi Files’ is about the Bengal Genocide of 1946/47/71 and how the same Khilafat ideology is responsible for constant communal conflict including the recent Delhi riots, I was attacked, abused and FIRs were filed against me. I was banned to sign my own books in a Kolkata mall.”
He further added, “It’s no exaggeration to say that my life is being made hell by the obvious lobbies and fundamentalists. But in India, to pave the new way, initiate Indic Renaissance, and destroy old Gods is not for the weak-hearted. You should be ready to sacrifice everything. Yes, everything. To create a heaven for the future, you must stay in hell. I believe I was chosen by Maa Saraswati to become the medium and I surrendered myself to her. This has given me strength to fight hard-core fundamentalists and enemies of truth, justice, and Dharma.”
Vivek Agnihotri congratulated the team of The Kerala Story and warned them about receiving unimaginable hate and said, “Dear Vipul Shah & @sudiptoSENtlm @adah_sharma and team of #TheKeralaStory, first let me congratulate you for the brave effort. At the same time, let me also give you the bad news that from here on, your lives will not be the same. You will receive unimaginable hate. Your will feel suffocated. Many times you may get confused and demoralized. But remember, God tests the shoulders on which he can put the responsibility of becoming the change agents.”
He concluded by saying, “If cinema is a medium to follow your course of Dharma, never stop. Let the community of Indic storytellers grow. Help new, young talented, Indic storytellers. Let this Indic Renaissance become the guiding light of a New Bharat. And whenever you feel nobody is understanding you, remember Gurudev’s lines: Ekla Chalo Re Best. Always. With love, VRA.”
The Kerala Story was released on May 5 and even before its release, the movie faced controversies. The movie was slammed by the Kerela Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan who termed the film as ‘propaganda’ by “the Sangh Parivar” and Congress leader Shahi Tharoor accused the makers of the film of “gross exaggeration and distortion” of the state’s reality and even announced a prize of Rs 1 crore to anyone who proves the allegation that 32000 women were converted into Islam by ISIS in Kerala.
Helmed by Sudipto Sen, the movie stars Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Sonia Balani, and Siddhi Ldani. The Kerala Story’s description was later altered to “true stories of three young girls from Kerala.”
Read The Kerala Story: PM Modi praises film for showing 'ugly truth of terrorism', producer says their stand is 'vindicated'
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 "Vivek Agnihotri warns The Kerala Story team")
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