Vivek Agnihotri’s ‘The Kashmir Files’ is a bold and audacious Historical Thriller/Drama with a tint of ‘cruel cinema’ that has been written, shot and edited in a way that’s nothing short of ‘international cinema’. This is a movie that’ll annoy some, startle some, break some and emotionally sigh some people but ultimately demonstrate that Vivek Agnihotri is built differently.
Every coin has two sides, and it is important to be aware of both sides. But it’s even more important to be exposed to both sides of that coin for similar amounts of time. This film is an attempt in that direction. There have been films presenting the situation totally opposite to this for some time now and a film like Kashmir Files is an attempt to balance the narratives.
Watch: The Kashmir Files | Official Trailer
Moreover, ‘The Kashmir Files’ is the least that has been done in terms of acknowledging the pain and suffering people went through during the ‘genocide’.
Another point of view that rightly points out the pro-Hindu inclination of the film narrative must not be ignored.
History Pundits are rightly pointing to just one remark at the climax of the film which mentions the atrocities on other religious groups as well and otherwise the whole film is about a single community.
But there is a very valid counterargument against it. Which is; when the third Reich inflicted atrocities on Jews, Gypsies, Slovaks and people of colour and many more communities the popular culture kept its Jewish angle very much alive, and one of the reasons for that was the main target of infliction. And this has been the case with the Kashmiri Pandit genocide as well.
Technical Perspective
Keeping aside both the sides of the coin and conflict and all the jingoism. If one has to look at the film from purely a technical perspective, the film goes well beyond the expectations anyone has from any such independent film.
The storyline grips you from the very beginning and there are times when the storytelling is so immersive that one starts feeling the emotions and pain the characters go through.
Layers Layers Everywhere
From characters to the story and from narratives to symbolism, everything is layered in such an intricate manner that it almost feels as if the layers are absent and the whole situation is one real situation just in front of our eyes.
The protagonist, Krishna often finds himself in turmoil and confusion. And his love for his grandfather (played by Anupam Kher) is crafted with such realism. Where he disagrees, agrees and sometimes even fights with him. This shows not only the influence of ideologies but also a certain drift due to the age and generational gap. Which eventually resolves with a bitterly sweet ending.
The performances are undoubtedly very intense. This brings us to the fact that any praise for Anupam Kher would be an understatement to his performance. Darshan Kumaar carried the film and placed it right where it needed to be with his performance of the last sequence.
The fact that actors who played the Kashmiri characters could speak in their local tongue was a huge reason why the audiences felt more authenticity in the film.
Ultimately, The Kashmir files is a homage to People who lost their lives, their loved ones, their homes and everything and never turned bitter.
