The debate over "The Kashmir Files" will strengthen relations between India and Israel, Israel's Consul General to Midwest India Kobbi Shoshani said on Tuesday while distancing himself and the state from filmmaker Nadav Lapid's remarks on the film.
Shoshani, who shared the dais with actor Anupam Kher at a press conference here, said "The Kashmir Files" is not propaganda but a "strong movie" that gives place to sufferings of the people of Kashmir.
"The first person I called in the morning was Anupam Kher, my friend, just to apologise. Apologise about a speech that was a private opinion. (Lapid's remarks) have nothing to do with the state of Israel, officially and unofficially," Shoshani told reporters.
According to a NDTV report, Anupam Kher, while addressing the media with Shoshani said, "If you are a jury member you cannot use words like 'vulgar or propaganda'. I think it is a vulgar remark by that person, who himself is vulgar and opportunist."
"To use the platform of IFFI for your own agenda is not only unfortunate, it's disgusting," Kher said.
Anupam Kher also blamed what he called the "toolkit gang" for the whole controversy. "A reliable source informed me that he was missing from his room throughout the night. This was not the statement he was to give at the closing ceremony of the film festival. What he said was entirely different. This is pre-planned as immediately after his remarks the toolkit gang became active on social media," he said.
He said it's shameful for a person from a community (Jews) that suffered the horrors of holocaust to make such offensive remarks on a movie based on the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits.
"The one who does not understand the pain of people of holocaust victims in his country, can't understand the pain of Kashmiri Pandits," Kher said.
I as a Kashmiri Pandit reject his remarks, he said.
The actor said Kobbi Shoshani called him up to apologise for Nadav Lapid's remarks and then came to meet him.
"That was Nadav Lapid's personal opinion, it has nothing to do with State of Israel. We don't accept it," Shoshani told media.
On Monday evening, Shoshani put out a Twitter post saying he shared a different opinion than Lapid on the film and had told him so after the comments at the closing ceremony of the International Film Festival of India in Goa.
Lapid, viewed as an anti-establishment filmmaker, had described "The Kashmir Files" as "propaganda movie" and "vulgar" on Monday night. He was chairperson of the international competition jury at IFFI.
Written and directed by Agnihotri and produced by Zee Studios, "The Kashmir Files" portrays the exodus of Kashmiri Hindus from Kashmir following the killings of people from the community by Pakistan-backed terrorists. The much discussed film, which polarised opinions following its March 11 release, is one of the most successful Hindi films of the year.
With inputs from PTI
