Lapid apologises for ‘The Kashmir Files’ remarks

: Israeli director and International Film Festival of India (IFFI) jury chair Nadav Lapid, who gained notoriety for dubbing The Kashmir Files “vulgar propaganda” has issued an apology.

Days after making the remark, Lapid said his “aim was never to insult people or their relatives.”

Lapid’s November 22 comments at IFFI Goa had elicited a reaction from Vivek Agnihotri, the writer-director of The Kashmir Files, and the actors Anupam Kher and Pallavi Joshi — all of whom criticised Lapid.

Again, Lapid has emphasised that his criticism of the movie was limited to its “series of cinematic manipulations.”

Speaking with a private news channel on Wednesday, Lapid said, “I didn’t want to insult anyone, and my aim was never to insult people or their relatives, who have suffered. I totally totally totally apologise if that’s the way they interpreted.”

In addition, Lapid said his comments reflected the views of the entire jury as well.

“But at the same time, whatever I said and I said clearly that for me and my fellow jury members, it was and it is a vulgar propaganda movie that didn’t have a place and was inappropriate for such a prestigious competitive section. I can repeat it again and again,” he further added.

The director, who is known for his anti-establishment views, said neither his comments nor the tragedy was intended to address the current climate in Kashmir.

“I have enormous respect for the tragedy, victims, survivors and for whoever suffers there. It (my remarks) was not at all about this. I’ll repeat these words 10,000 times if I have to say that I was not talking about the political issue, historical equation, or disrespecting the tragedy that happened in Kashmir,” he said.

The Kashmir Files, focuses on the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits during the early 1990s unrest.

My aim was never to insult people or their relatives, who have suffered. NADAV LAPID, Israeli director