The Kashmir Files row: Bedlam ensues after IFFI embarrassment

Sensing trouble, one of the jury members — Sudipto Sen — said Lapid’s comments were his personal opinion and that it had nothing to do with the jury of IFFI, which is taking place in Goa.

“Whatever has been said by IFFI 2022 Jury Chairman Nadav Lapid about the film The Kashmir Files from the stage of the closing ceremony of the 53rd IFFI was completely his personal opinion,” said Sudipto Sen.

#Breaking: #IFFI Jury says they were “disturbed and shocked” to see #NationalFilmAward winning #KashmirFiles, “a propoganda, vulgar movie” in the competition section of a prestigious festival— organised by the Govt of India.
🎤 Over to @vivekagnihotri sir…
@nadavlapi pic.twitter.com/ove4xO8Ftr

— Navdeep Yadav (@navdeepyadav321) November 28, 2022

In the official presentation of the Jury Board to the Festival Director and the official press conference, he added that no jury member expressed any likes or dislikes.

#IFFI #IFFI2022 @nfdcindia @ianuragthakur pic.twitter.com/GBhtw0tH6C

— Sudipto SEN (@sudiptoSENtlm) November 28, 2022

What’s embarrassing was Lapid made the controversial comments in the presence of Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur.

Many netizens found fault with Thakur for choosing Lapid to head the jury without a proper background check.

Anurag Thakur must apologise first for the incompetence displayed by his ministry & organisers of IFFI in inviting Lapid to be chair of International Jury https://t.co/hQcTZMFSmE

— Sameer (@BesuraTaansane) November 28, 2022

There’re moles in your @MIB_India ministry @ianuragthakur ji.

This wasn’t by accident, this surely is by design of the left liberal ecosystem. pic.twitter.com/ELefdeKWFD

— Yo Yo Funny Singh (@moronhumor) November 28, 2022

While Lapid’s opinion embarrassed the organisers of IFFI, it also gave impetus to The Kashmir Files detractors to unleash a fresh attack.

Actor Swara Bhaskar, Congress national spokesperson Supriya Shrinate, and lawyer-activist Prashant Bhushan were among those who seconded Nadiv’s opinion.

Chair of the Jury of Goa Film Festival says that the Jury felt that Kashmir Files was a vulgar propaganda film, inappropriate for the film festival pic.twitter.com/FKTF93ZlRY

— Prashant Bhushan (@pbhushan1) November 28, 2022

Apparently it’s pretty clear to the world ..https://t.co/VQGH6eKcj6

— Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) November 28, 2022

Meanwhile, senior actor Anupam Kher, who played a key role in The Kashmir Files, rubbished Lapid’s comments as lies.

Though he did not identify Lapid by name, he tweeted in Hindi, saying: “However big a lie may be, it will always be dwarfed by the truth.”

He also referred to legendary director Steven Spielberg’s The Schindler’s List, a war drama focused on the holocaust, which won the hearts of movie lovers across the globe.

झूट का क़द कितना भी ऊँचा क्यों ना हो..
सत्य के मुक़ाबले में हमेशा छोटा ही होता है.. pic.twitter.com/OfOiFgkKtD

— Anupam Kher (@AnupamPKher) November 28, 2022

As the Israeli filmmaker’s comments led to bedlam, Israel’s Ambassador to India Naor Gilan censured Lapid over his comments and jumped into damage-control mode.

In a series of tweets, Gilan expressed that the friendship between the people and the states of India and Israel was very strong and would survive the damage Lapid had inflicted.

Saying that he was ashamed of Lapid’s words, Gilan apologised.

The friendship between the people and the states of India and Israel is very strong and will survive the damage you have inflicted.
As a human being I feel ashamed and want to apologize to our hosts for the bad manner in which we repaid them for their generosity and friendship.

— Naor Gilon (@NaorGilon) November 29, 2022