Page 32 - The Indian EYE 040122

NORTH AMERICAN Newsline APRIL 01, 2022 | The Indian Eye 32

FILm reVIew

tHe kasHmIr FILes:

a fine piece of historical realism

JAGDISH BATRA

ashmir as a trouble spot has
caught the attention of the
Kpeople as have other con-
flict-ridden regions elsewhere in the
world. However, due to large-scale
dissemination of motivated informa-
tion, a distorted picture has come to
exist in public mind. The focus is, by
and large, hogged by the perpetrators
of terror behind the smokescreen of
“human rights” which are not allowed
to the victims. Vivek Agnihotri, as the
writer-director of the movie The Kash-
mir Files has done a commendable job
in bringing to the centrestage what had
remained a side issue in the power pol-
itics in India.
The story begins with the menac-
ing knock by terrorists on the door of
the house belonging to the Kashmiri
Hindu Pandit Pushkar Nath (played by died and he had to take the ashes to try. The movie informs that this forced killed by Indian army. However, the
Anupam Kher), a teacher, followed by their ancient home – now reduced to exodus is, as per history, the seventh. news clippings of terror acts of past
the murder of his son Karan in front of rubble – in Srinagar as per wishes of The large-scale execution of Kashmiri related to the murder of his family at
latter’s wife and daughter because he the grandfather. He reaches Brahm- Pandits by the Afghan warlord Durra- the hands of terrorists in army fatigue
was alleged to be “an Indian spy”. The ha’s house where, as per the deceased’s ni during 18th century had left its mark contained in the Kashmir files open
killer Bitta turns out to be Pushkar’s wish, his old friends, now retired from on an island in the Dal Lake. The site his eyes to reality. The consequent
student only! To add insult to injury, service, have also gathered – a top is called Battmazar and there is refer- speech by Krishna in front of students
the terrorist Bhatt forces wife to eat bureaucrat (Mithun Chakravorty), ence to it in the movie. Incidentally, is a fine piece of oratory in which he
the grains mixed with her husband’s a state police chief (Puneet Issar), a this is also referred to by the novelist recounts the glory of old Kashmir and
blood! This might seem too weird but scribe (Atul Shrivastav), and a doctor Rajat Mitra in his Kashmir-based nov- the successive onslaughts on its culture
that is what Kashmir was in the 1990s (Prakash Belawadi). They were around el The Infidel Next Door. In this sordid by invaders, culminating in the recent
when Mufti Mohammad Syed was the when Krishna’s other family members scenario, no values guide the terrorists genocide because of which the Kash-
Home Minister at the centre and Fa- were killed but had vowed not to tell who have been brainwashed by the en- miri Pandits had to flee the valley.
rooq Abdullah the state Chief minister. him anything as the elders have always emy country and are so steel-hearted The movie is, thus, an attempt
As the time-frame shifts in this thought of not giving pain to their that they won’t mind killing their own to give a peep into the problem of
forward-backward narrative, the spot- young children, but as the interaction parents if it were ordered, as per Bit- displacement of the Kashmiri Pandit
light focusses on Pushkar’s grandson progresses, things take a different turn ta’s confession in a TV interview. community and is a fine piece of his-
Krishna (played by Darshan Kumar) and they have to reveal it all. The movie deals with the negative torical realism. Incidents like the at-
studying in a renowned university in The atmosphere of terror that role played by the self-serving politi- tack by terrorists in army outfit is also
Delhi. He was told that his parents prevailed in the 1990s has been graph- cians who are hand-in-glove with the mentioned in Arundhati Roy’s The
had died in an accident. At the univer- ically captured in the movie. “Raliv, terrorists, an illustration of which is Ministry of Utmost Happiness even
sity, we come across another teacher galiv, chaliv” (Convert to Islam, leave provided in the scene where Bramha though, true to her political views, she
Radhika (played by Pallavi Joshi), who Kashmir or die) was the slogan being goes to report to the chief minister and has given it alongside an opposite ver-
is hand-in-glove with Bitta and actively raised at that time. The hospital doc- finds a gun-toting terrorist there. The sion. The boat journey to the terror-
advances the agenda of Kashmiri sep- tors were warned against treating “kaf- movie is also a comment on some ac- ist’s hideout also seems to have been
aratists. She mentors Krishna to fight ir” patients. The body of a murdered ademics like Professor Radhika. She inspired by this novel. However, the
the election for presidentship of the Pandit is seen hanged on a tree. The had motivated Krishna to meet her movie makes use of only the necessary
student’s union. The prescription pro- graffiti called upon the Pandit commu- contact in Srinagar to get “answers to scenes of violence and is, therefore,
vided by her to Krishna is to concoct nity to leave the valley without their all his questions” and who turns out not a melodrama. We find the use of
a narrative of victimhood of Kashmiri women, showing the ulterior inten- to be the self-same terrorist, Bitta. His Kashmiri songs and lullabies at appro-
Muslims because this will emotionally tions of the terrorists. Many Kashmiri pictures with the teacher showcased in priate places, which makes the movie
appeal to the young voters, and be- Pandits were murdered and women his hideout reveal their collusion. Bitta, very touching and an authentic piece
sides, “this is politics”! raped. The hapless victims are still for a while, is able to persuade Krishna dealing with Kashmiri culture and life-
Krishna had been unaware of re- leading the life of refugees in pitiable that his is a peaceful Gandhian move- style and the issues impacting it in the
ality in Kashmir until his grandfather conditions in other parts of the coun- ment and that Krishna’s parents were recent historical context.

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