Vivek Agnihotri defends choice of film subjects amid criticism

Director reveals new film will explore violent history of undivided Bengal and key historical events

• Eastern Eye
• 24 August, 2024

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By: Eastern Eye

DIRECTOR Vivek Agnihotri, often criticised for making films with a propagandist slant, defended his right to choose his own subjects.

Agnihotri’s 2022 film, The Kashmir Files, portrays the exodus of Kashmiri Hindus from their homeland after being targeted by terrorists, while his 2019 film, The Tashkent Files, investigates the mysterious death of Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri in Uzbekistan in 1966.

Speaking to PTI, Agnihotri revealed that his upcoming film, The Delhi Files, will cover the violent history of undivided Bengal, touching upon events like the Noakhali riots of 1946 and involving key historical figures such as Mahatma Gandhi, Md Ali Jinnah, and organisations like the Muslim League and Congress.

“There are people who ask why Vivek Agnihotri is not making a film on the situation in the northeastern region. There are so many filmmakers. Let anyone among them take up the task. Let me choose my subject. Can’t I create awareness about the issue chosen by me,” he added.

The Vaccine War director came to Kolkata to participate in a rally on Wednesday (21) protesting against the alleged rape and murder of a woman doctor in state-run R G Kar Hospital here.

“There are so many women MPs in India. Why are they not protesting against such an incident, why don’t they sit on the street? You cannot trust politicians. India has been destroyed by politicians,” he said.

To a question, he said he wanted to join the rally as a citizen of the country and to express solidarity with the protestors, but he would not make any film on the ghastly incident.

“I have a daughter and a sister. I don’t want to exploit such an issue for commercial reasons. Let politicians do that. They are like vultures,” the filmmaker said.

On West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s criticism of his film The Kashmir Files in the past, he said it was “unwarranted”.

Banerjee may have thought it is an anti-Muslim film but it is not true, Agnihotri said.

He also alleged that the West Bengal government tried to stop his team’s research for the film The Delhi Files.

To a question, he said, “I am not a politician. I am a filmmaker. My job is not to file FIRs. I can’t go to court,” Agnihotri said asserting that he believed in approaching “the people’s court”.

The director said he was in West Bengal in his childhood.

“I had been inspired by four personalities – Swami Vivekananda, Sri Aurobindo, writer Saratchandra Chattopadhyay and later on by the works of filmmaker Satyajit Ray,” Agnihotri said. (PTI)