Offering a “total apology” if his remarks on “The Kashmir Files” had been misinterpreted, Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid has stated his goal was to not insult the Kashmiri Pandit neighborhood or those that had suffered.
Lapid, who was the worldwide jury chair on the latest International Film Festival of India (IFFI) and stirred huge controversy by terming the Vivek Agnihotri movie “vulgar” and a “propaganda”, reiterated that he solely criticised the movie for its “series of cinematic manipulations”. “I didn`t want to insult anyone. My aim was never to insult the people or their relatives, who have suffered. I totally apologise if that`s the way they interpreted it,” Lapid, who has left the nation since his remarks on the closing ceremony of the 53rd version of the pageant in Goa this week, advised information channel CNN-News18 on Wednesday night time.
“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 added.
“The Kashmir Files”, written and directed by Vivek Agnihotri, centres on the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits throughout militancy within the early Nineties. It was screened on the pageant on November 22 beneath the Indian Panorama part.
The acclaimed director, identified for his anti-establishment stance, stated his remarks had been neither a press release on the political state of affairs in Kashmir nor a denial of the tragedy.
“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 stated.
“I was talking about the movie and that such serious topics deserve, in my opinion, a serious film… ,” he added. Lapid additionally dismissed claims made by IFFI worldwide jury member Sudipto Sen, who had stated the feedback on Agnihotri`s directorial had been the Israeli director`s “personal opinion”.
Also Read: ‘You Should Be Ashamed’: Israel Envoy On Nadav Lapid’s Remark On ‘The Kashmir Files’
“It wasn`t a personal opinion at all,” Lapid countered.
“We all thought that the movie used a series of manipulation, vulgar, violence because it was supposed to transmit a message that can cause hostility, violence and hate in the environment,” he added.
A day after the controversy erupted, Agnihotri stated he would give up filmmaking if intellectuals, together with Lapid, had been in a position to show that occasions depicted in his movie had been false.
Asked to touch upon Agnihotri`s assertion, the filmmaker stated it was a pure response from the “The Kashmir Files” helmer.
“I`m certain that the director is livid. I might be livid too if somebody would speak about my movie the identical approach. My movies are sometimes regarded upon as very controversial and polemic. Certain individuals have stated some very harsh and horrible issues about my films.
“The filmmaker knows very well that the question is not what exactly were the facts. None of us (in the jury), especially myself, ever doubted the facts. I don`t have any capacity, the tools to say what happened in Kashmir,” Lapid, who lives principally in France, stated.
Also Read: As storm rages over `The Kashmir Files`, `X` on his luggage upsets Vivek Agnihotri
Lapid got here beneath assault not simply by “The Kashmir Files” workforce but in addition a number of BJP leaders and Israel`s Ambassador to India Naor Gilon in addition to its Consul General to Midwest India Kobbi Shoshani.
“Although he (Israeli ambassador) was absolutely aware of the fact that I was talking about the movie as propaganda, he blamed me for talking disrespectfully about the tragedy in Kashmir which is total nonsense. He is aware of it but he is a manipulator. He knew I was judging the movie as a filmmaker,” he advised the channel.
Lapid thanked IFFI for inviting him to be the top of the worldwide jury.
“But since I was called to Goa in order to serve as the president of the jury as I did in dozens of festivals, the biggest ones like Cannes, Berlin, and others. My duty, my obligation was to tell the truth as I see it,” he added.
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