MUMBAI: In a widely circulated video on social media, a man is seen raising hate slogans against Muslims after the screening of the recently released controversial movie Kashmir files.
Anupam Kher, starrer ‘Kashmir Files’, deals with the concocted story of violence against Kashmiri Hindu Pandits in Indian-occupied Kashmir. Scholars and critics of Hindutva ideology have flagged the film for instilling hatred towards Muslims. The film has been widely endorsed by Hindu nationalist groups. Directed by Vivek Agnihotri, the movie was released on 11 March.
Indian journalist Rana Ayyub has shared a video in which audiences in an auditorium can be seen chanting slogans against Muslims after watching the film. The slogans has been used before in an anti-Muslim context referring to Indian Muslims as traitors.
“The anti Muslim hate in theatres is not by political terrorists. It is by the regular majority. There is a reason the film is being declared tax free, the director doing a photo op with the Prime Minister. And some sick liberals will sermonise Muslims to defeat fascism,” Ayyub said.
When the Prime Minister of India endorses an extremely Islamophobic film that seeks to promote hatred against Muslims. At a time when Muslims in India are at the cusp of a genocide, What will it take for the world community to turn its gaze towards this fascism @antonioguterres https://t.co/s4MrdYXGc6
— Rana Ayyub (@RanaAyyub) March 15, 2022
In the video, the man exhorted the audience to stop watching Bollywood movies, especially the movies of some prominent Muslim actors in the industry – Shahrukh Khan, Amir Khan, Salman Khan. He also accused the educated, cultivated people of destroying the Indian culture. He said that the conflicts the movie has presented will one day also come to meet them in real life.
In another video, a youth urged caution to his Hindu brothers to be beware of the Muslims and keep distance from them, after watching the movie. The movie has been given tax-free run in BJP run states of Gujarat, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Goa and Tripura.
Raqib Hameed Naik, a journalist and editor stated on Twitter that ‘Kashmir Files’ has been “explicitly made to vilify Muslims in general and Kashmiri Muslims in particular”. “The movie is doing exactly what it was meant to. Absolutely terrifying scenes playing out in theatres: murderous chants, hateful sloganeering, calls to stay away from Muslims etc. Sick.”
The Kashmir Files has been making waves for all the wrong reasons. More recently, #BoycottKapilSharmaShow trended Twitter after director Vivek Agnihotri claimed that the film’s cast and crew were not invited to the comedy show hosted by Kapil Sharma. Some netizens began calling out Kapil Sharma for not inviting the team.
