Sanchita
Watching this harrowing tale of the exodus (or rather the genocide) of Kashmiri Pandits during the 1990 Kashmir Insurgency is not for the faint-hearted.
But The Kashmir Files is indeed an important watch to understand the plight of the Kashmiri Hindus and their need for justice.
Director: Vivek Agnihotri
Cast: Anupam Kher, Darshan Kumar, Chinmay Mandlekar, Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi, Bhasha Sumbli
Rating: 3.5/5
Runtime: 2 Hours 50 mins
Storyline:
5 mins in… and you can already feel that The Kashmir Files is going to be a gut-wrenching experience. The story follows JNU student Krishna Pandit (Darshan Kumar) who is oblivious to the true nature of his parents’ death.
As the movie weaves through flashbacks, Krishna uncovers the truth about the horrific tragedy that befell his family and learns to question the brainwashing done by his teacher Radhika Menon (Pallavi Joshi).
Vivek Agnihotri paints a brutal and hard-hitting picture of the Kashmiri Pandits’ helplessness during the exodus. Chilling chants of Islamic militants haunt the air – Ralive, Tsaliv ya Galive (either convert to Islam, leave the land, or die) forcing the Kashmiri Hindus to flee their houses in terror.
Gory murders and atrocities follow – a High court judge is killed, a wife is force-fed rice soaked in her husband’s blood, a woman is mercilessly sawed into two! From kids, women to the elderly….no one is spared; shot point-blank in cold blood.
Ruthlessly driven from their homes and stuck in miserable conditions at refugee camps in their very own country, the tale of the Kashmiri Pandits’ displacement is indeed difficult to witness and will stay with you, long after you’ve left the theatre.
What Do We Think:
Vivek Agnihotri has gone no-holds-barred in his painful depiction of the Kashmiri Pandits’ genocide. The wounds may be old but they still sting deeply.
Veteran Anupam Kher as the resilient Pushkar Nath Pandit has nailed his role and the Kashmiri accent perfectly. He makes you sympathize and empathize with his character’s struggle. Darshan Kumar is also another delight to watch – ranging from confusion, sadness to fiery conviction.
Mithun Chakraborty plays the IAS officer Brahma Dutt and you can feel his regret and vulnerability shine on screen. Pallavi Joshi too aces as the shrewd, liberal professor.
The most haunting performance is of Bhasha Sumbli who essays the role of Sharda Pandit. Her anguish and her humiliation will truly inspire anger against the injustice of it all.
Chinmay Mandlekar has a meaty role as the terrorist Farooq Ahmed and he has pulled off the menacing act quite well.
Hit Or Miss
Definitely a must-watch! Overall gripping performances! But it is going to be quite disturbing and heavy emotionally, so read the trigger warnings before you watch.
