By Gasper Crasto/Kuwait
Due to lack of leisure, last many years I have been watching
only the top 5 Bollywood ‘films’ of each year, plus the Oscar winners,
and other few highest grossing movies.
There
was no way, I could watch ‘The Kashmir Files’ in theatres, or anywhere around
as the film is banned in almost all the Middle-East countries for its
sensitive, ‘sacred’ subject.
Nonetheless,
I was able to hack into the ‘Files’ at the weekend and watch it over my
home-theatre.
First
of all, I want to tell you guys, it is not my genre of movies, but all the hype
made me get my ‘eyes’ on it.
There are scenes in the film which will surely leave you horrified. And I am ashamed to admit, myself being an Indian, I was not aware of the Hindu ‘genocide’ in my ‘own’ country.
SENTIMENTAL REVIEWS
I have seen a number of reviews & debates on the film, and
people getting ‘unduly’ emotional (with hatred) after watching the film.
However,
you guys will be surprised that I didn’t have a single tear in my eyes. I
remember having cried watching even a subtitled Korean film called 'Parasite' that won the
2019 Best Film Oscar.
Ofcourse
I believe in humanity, but I am proud to be Indian first. I respect the film’s
creativity, and our culture as well; I didn’t find any message of revenge at
the end (except when I heard some blind fanatics).
No
doubt, the film presents a sentimental interest, but from just one religious’
point of view which has perhaps drawn our Hindu brothers to glorify the film.
It
is more of a documentary with not-so-great plot, screenplay or cinematic value
– except for some fabulous dialogues; sorry for someone claiming it to be a
Oscar-winning film.
THE PAST & PRESENT THAT WE KNOW
Most of us, the Gen-Z people, had absolutely no idea of what
took place in Kashmir back then. In my opinion the film is not just a film, it
is a part of our history. But why dig into the past so publicly and expose it to the
ones who were never part of it.
Indeed,
the pain and struggle of Hindus in this film raises many questions.
The
Kashmir issue has been there for many years and we still have it. We still have
that situation which encourages deceptive propaganda and manipulates our
youth.
If
we are thinking that this issue can be solved, we are distracted for sure, and
we are compromising the integrity of our nation.
If
we want to stop brainwashing our youth, then we must educate and introduce that
history to our people and future generations in a right manner.
We
can keep debating more on the topic but I think we should stop ‘faking’
anything that will hurt our brothers – Hindus or Muslims.
I know many will not agree with my mindset, well I respect
that.
KASHMIR FILES – FOR GOANS
I personally feel, the Goa govt or Goan media should not get
involved in fueling any fire on this film – by commenting irresponsibly – just
to appease some category of public.
Goa
is much more secular, and much more schooled than many other states in India.
We respect each other’s religion.
Let
the public watch the film, and feel what they want to feel, or better still –
Ban the film in Goa to avoid unnecessary communal ‘tensions’ among our
community. A responsible government will do that.
Ofcourse,
everyone sympathizes with the Kashmir victims, without doubt. However, we must
know, we don’t have any distant relations with the pandits, terrorists or jews
– to create any controversy or outcry out of nothing.
OUR IDENTITY WITH KASHMIRIS
Except for the Kashmiri chillies, Kashmir is as alien to us as the
Kashmiri handicrafts and Kashmiri apples.
We
must not relate the film to anything past, or present in Goan history. Goa has
never been involved in communal fights during our generation, and we should never.
Moreover,
we must know that the people who killed the Hindus were not ‘Indian’ Muslims,
but 'radical' jihadi separatists or terrorists. Terrorists or criminals have no religion, no
matter what basis they fight on – religion or conviction.
The
divide among Hindus & Muslims of India is already spreading at a very fast
pace. If it continues, it can lead to large scale uprisings.
While
it is easy to blame a section of our society for this divide, it is time for us
to introspect and identify what can be done to walk hand in hand as brothers.
𝗠𝗬 𝗧𝗔𝗞𝗘 𝗢𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗜𝗟𝗠
Being a film on Kashmir, I was expecting some scenic beauties of the land to be exploited by the director, but much of the film is snow.
The story is nicely unfolded, though some of the scenes in the film are heartbreaking and traumatizing.
However, the climax where 25 pandits are lined-up and shot on foreheads doesn’t look realistic enough for a film of this scale. There is no hysteria, panic or emotion in the characters; it looked like a ‘tiatr’ scene with some characters looking for a comfortable place to fall down, once shot.
Anupam Kher blew my mind with his acting. Mithun Chakraborty too is class. Really impressed with what they still offer ever since the 'Disco Dancer' days, and it is for a reason that they are still the legends of Indian Cinema.
It could be either Anupam Kher, or Pallavi Joshi (for her tailor-written dialogues), who will win the best actor National awards this year. There can be another uncalled 'uprising' if they don’t.
𝗠𝘆 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗺: 𝟯.𝟱/𝟱.
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